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The 


Poultry  Manual 

A  Guide   to  Successful   Poultry  Keeping 

In   All    Its    Branches,    Fancy 

And  Practical 


BY  FRANKLANB   L.  SBWELI. 

IDA   E. 

TII.SON 

And 

Others 

Illustrations  By  Mr.  Sewell 

TENTH 

EDITION 

REVISED 

PRICE, 

25  CENTS 

^EBB    PUBLISHING    COMPANY 

ST.    PAUL, 

MINNESOTA 

1 

9  0  8 

Copyright,   1898  and  1908. 

WEBB  PUBLISHING  COMPANY, 

St.  Paul,  Minn. 


PART  ONE 

The  first  part  of  the  Poultry 
Manual  is  devoted  to  the  standard 
breeds  of  poultry,  including  turkeys, 
ducks  and  geese.  It  deals  with  the 
origin  and  development  of  the  dif- 
ferent breeds  and  varieties,  their 
characteristics  and  matters  pertain- 
ing to  breeding  and  rearing,  and  is 
intended  to  supplement  the  Ameri- 
can Standard  of  Perfection,  not  to 
supplant  it.  The  subject  matter 
and  illustrations  are  principally  by 
Franklane  L.  Sewell,  the  world's 
premier  poultry  artist  and  noted 
authority  on  the  standard  breeds. 


36546 


PLYMOUTH   ROCKS 


Origin,  Development  and  Characteristics  of  America's  Most 

Popular  Production  in  Standard  Fowls — The 

Principal  Varieties  of  the  Breed. 


This  breed  originated  as  the  Barred  Rock  in  New  England 
and  the  best  authorities  give  the  honor  of  its  production  to  a 
Mr.  Spalding  of  Connecticut  and  claim  that  it  was  produced 
from  a  cross  of  a  Dominique  colored  male  and  Black  Cochin 
hens.  Good  authorities  also  claim  that  the  Black  Java  was 
used  in  its  production  and  there  are  many  reasons  to  believe 
that  that  is  true.  They  were  first  shown  at  Worcester,  Mass., 
in  1869,  by  Mr.  D.  A.  Upham,  of  Connecticut,  and  were  then 
called  Improved  Plymouth  Rocks.  The  name  Barred  was  not 
given  them  until  later. 

The  early  Plymouth  Rocks  were  by  no  means  free  from 
feathers  on  their  shanks  or  from  white  in  their  ear  lobes,  ac- 
cording to  the  testimony  of  the  veteran  I.  K.  Felch.  At  that 
time,  which  was  before  the  advent  of  the  Wyandottes,  the 
Plymouth  Rocks  had  the  field  clear  as  the  general  purpose  breed. 
The  conformation  of  the  breed  is  such  as  would  naturally  be  se- 
lected for  a  fowl  intended  to  produce  plenty  of  poultry  meat 
and  lay  abundantly  of  eggs.  This  fact,  together  with  their  clean 
shanks  and  robust  constitutions,  gained  them  the  title  of  the 
"farmers'  fowl"  and  also  the  wide  popularity  that  they  attained 
in  a  comparatively  short  time.  The  comparatively  heavy,  though 
close-lying  plumage  and  comparatively  small  combs,  adapt  them 
particularly  to  cold  climates. 

The  plumage  of  the  Barred  Rock,  as  it  came'  to  be  called, 
is  extremely  difficult  to  breed  and  to  produce  exhibition  color 
in  both  male  and  female  it  is  necessary  to  resort  to  two  matings. 
To  produce  the  cockerel  for  the  show  room^  an  exhibition  colored 
male  is  penned  with  females  which  are  too  dark  for  exhibition 
purposes  but  which  have  been  produced  from  a  mating  of  the 
same  kind.  Exactly  the  reverse  of  this  is  the  method  of  pro- 
ducing exhibition  females.  The  winners  of  the  present  at  the 
larger  shows  are  remarkably  well  barred  from  the  tips  of  the 
feathers  to  the  hide,  and  the  best  of  them  show  that  desirable 
ringy  effect  on  the  outside  which  adds  to  their  attractiveness. 
Although  many  breeders  have  paid  more  attention  to  color  than 


POULTRY  MANUAL. 


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Barred    Rock    Feathers    No.     lA. 


to  shape,  yet  the  lines 
described  by  the  Amer- 
ican Standard  of  Per- 
fection should  first  re- 
ceive attention  from 
breeders,  inasmuch  as 
it  is  shape  that  makes 
the  breed  while  color 
simply  stamps  the  vari- 
ety. 

Color  in  Barred  Rocks 

The  subject  of  color 
and  barring  in  Barred 
Plymouth  Rocks  has 
given  rise  to  much 
controversy  between  fanciers  of  this  popular  variety,  and 
in  the  mind  of  many  a  breeder  of  Barred  Rocks  there 
is  a  very  indefinite  idea  as  to  the  right  thing  in  the 
color  and  barring  of  this  popular  bird.  The  Standard  be- 
ing our  only  law  upon  the  subject,  we  must  attempt  to  get  from 
it  the  right  ideas  upon  this  subject  of  color  and  barring,  and 
while  it  is  not  explicit  enough  in  some  respects,  yet  one  may 
arrive  at  a  good  understanding  of  its  intent  from  a  close  study 
of  the  wording  of  that  part  relating  to  this  subject.  The  Stand- 
ard says,  blue  that  stops  short  of  a  positive  black;  that  is,  the 
color  lacks  that  metallic  shade  of  black,  or  the  luster  of  the 
Black  Langshans  for  instance.  A  dark  blue  is  very  much  like 
a  black  in  appearance,  but  has  a  soft  shade  and  not  the  strong 
color  of  the  positive  or  lustrous  black.  In  order  to  illustrate, 
as  near  as  possible,  the  color  and  barring  of  the  male  and  fe- 
male of  the  Barred  Rock,  we  have  selected  feathers  that  were 

the  best  we  could  find 
and  while  not  by  any 
means  perfect  will  give 
a  very  fair  idea  of  the 
intention  of  the  Stand- 
ard. 

No.  1  A  gives  a  very 
fair  idea  of  the  charac- 
ter of  the  barring  of 
the  neck  of  the  male 
and  female.  The  Stand- 
ard calls  for  narrow, 
parallel  bars,  the  bar- 
ring to  be  close  in  all 
sections.  No.  I  A  shows 
the  bars  to  be  narrow 
and    quite    uniform    in 


Barred    Rock    Feathers    No.     IB. 


PLYMOUTH  ROCKS. 


character,  with  the 
barring  close  and  run- 
ning the  entire  length 
of  the  feather,  while 
those  of  No,  1  B  show 
an  irregular  character, 
with  the  barring  more 
open  and  not  showing 
the  entire  length  of 
the  feather.  No.  2  A 
shows  the  barring  along 
the  back  and  cushion 
of  the  female,  repre- 
senting    the     straight, 


Barred 


Rock     Feathers 
No.    3A. 


narrow  barring,  run- 
ning the  entire  length 
of  the  feather,  uniform 
and  even  in  character. 
No.  3  shows  the  barring 
of  back  and  saddle  of 
male  bird,  A  showing 
the  close,  narrow  bar- 
ring the  entire  length 
of  feather,  the  under 
color  being  especially 
good,  while  B  gives  an 
idea  of  more  open,  ir- 
regular barring  with 
the  under  color  in  one 


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Barred     Rock     Feathers 
No.    2A. 


feather,  showing  no 
signs  of  a  bar.  One 
feather  shows  very- 
good  surface  color,  but 
fails  in  under  color. 
The  idea  of  the  Stand- 
ard is  that  the  feather 
must  be  barred  its  en- 
tire length,  with  the 
under    color    not    quite 


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Barred     Rock     Feathers     No.     3B. 


POULTRY  MANUAL. 


Barred    Rock    Feathers    No.     4A. 


as  strong  in  color  as 
the  surface.  It  is  not 
such  a  difficult  matter 
to  get  our  females 
with  some  kind  of 
color  in  the  under  color, 
but  in  the  male  birds 
a  much  more  difficult 
task,  and  such  color  as 
is  shown  in  No.  3  A 
will  be  appreciated  by- 
all  old  breeders  of  Bar- 
red Rocks.  No.  i  rep- 
resents the  color  and 
barring  of  breast  of 
both  male  and  female,  and  in  this  section  they  are  similar  in 
character,  in  contrast  to  that  of  neck  and  back,  which  are  differ- 
ent. The  female,  however,  usually  runs  somewhat  stronger  in 
under  color  than  the  male  bird. 

No.  4  B  shows  types  of  color  and  barring  often  found  in 
many  males  and  females,  with  the  open  barring  and  lack  of 
color  and  barring  in  the  lower  part  of  the  feather,  and  also  that 
irregularity  of  bar  which  so  detracts  from  the  "line  barring" 
or  "ringlet"  effect  of  breast  color.  No.  5  A  represents  color  of 
fluff  and  thigh  of  male  bird,  the  small  feathers  being  from  the 
thigh.  These  sections  are  hard  to  get  with  barring  running  the 
entire  length  of  feather  as  decided  in  character  as  that  of  the 
feathers  of  No.  5  A.  No.  5  B  represents  the  type  more  com- 
monly met  with,  barring  often  fairly  good  in  surface  color  but 
decidedly  lacking  in  barring  of  under  part;  and  in  plumage  of 
thigh  the  color  and  barring  are  often  weak  and  uneven,  and  as 
the  thigh  forms  a  part  of  the  leg  the  plumage  of  this  section 
must  be  good  in  color  and  barring  to  pass  without  a  cut,  when 

scored  by  a  competent 
judge.  Yet  many  fan- 
ciers think  if  the  shank 
is  yellow  in  color  and 
free  from  roughness, 
that  a  bird  should  pass 
without  a  cut  in  color 
of  leg,  not  thinking  that 
the  thigh  is  a  part  of 
the  leg  and  that  its 
plumage  must  be  con- 
sidered in  measuring 
the  quality  of  any  bird. 
The  quality  of  plum- 
Barred    Rock    Feathers    No.     4B.  age   shown    in   No.    5    A 


PLYMOUTH  ROCKS. 


is  not  often  found  in 
the  average  class  of 
Barred  Rock  male  birds, 
and  in  No.  3  A  the  qual- 
ity is  better  than  is  usu- 
ally found;  yet  neither 
is  perfect,  and  one  can 
imagine  what  the  per- 
fection of  the  Standard 
really  means.  In  every 
section  each  feather 
must  be  better  than 
those  of  our  illustra- 
tions in  order  to  be  per- 
fect, as  the  Standard 
calls  for  perfection  in 
every  respect  in  the 
bird  that  would  reach 
the     100     mark.      We 


Barred    Rock    Feathers    No.    5A. 


are  not  able  to  give  an  illustra- 
tion of  the  barring  of  wing  and  tail,  but  it  must  conform  to  the 
general  character  of  the  barring  of  other  sections,  the  barring 
of  the  larger  feathers  to  conform  to  their  size.  The  primaries 
and  secondaries  of  wing  when  spread  out  in  fan  shape  should 
show  the  bars  of  each  feather  in  connecting  and  parallel  lines 
across  the  entire  sweep  of  wing;  and  in  tail  the  barring  should 
be  as  distinct  and  clear  as  in  any  other  section,  the  tail  coverts 
to  be  equally  as  well  barred  as  any  other  part  of  the  plumage. 

We    now   touch   upon   an   important   point   and    that   is   the 
straight  bar,  because  to  be  most   effective,  the   bar   should   be 

straight       across       the 

feather  and  even  in 
width,  so  that  the  sur- 
face of  the  plumage 
may  have  that  continu- 
ous bar  or  ringlet  ef- 
fect which  is  one  of 
the  attractive  features 
of  our  best  specimens. 
Another  point,  and  that 
is,  that  the  tip  of  each 
feather  should  be  the 
dark  blue — that  is,  the 
feather  should  have  a 
dark  bar  at  the  end, 
not  wide  but  narrow 
and  clear  cut.  This  does 
away  with  much  of  that 
Barred    Rock    Feathers    No.    5B.  indistinct,      mealy      ap- 


10  POULTRY  MANUAL. 

pearance  in  plumage  that  below  the  upper  third  of  the  feathers 
is  very  often  well  and  distinctly  barred.  It  is  this  upper  part  that 
is  on  the  surface  and  the  part  that  appeals  to  the  eye,  and  either 
makes  or  mars  the  beauty  of  the  specimen.  If  the  surface  of 
the  plumage  is  well  barred  throughout,  the  bird  will  please  the 
eye  of  the  lover  of  Barred  Rock  color,  but  the  Standard  says 
we  must  not  stop  at  the  surface;  that  such  good  work  along 
the  lines  of  the  beautiful  must  be  continued,  and  that  the  en- 
tire feather  must  possess  the  same  character  of  barring  and 
color  as  the  surface,  although  in  a  somewhat  modified  form  in 
that  part  below  the  upper  half.  With  the  entire  plumage  barred 
with  narrow  parallel  bars  of  the  proper  color  we  have  the  per- 
fect plumage,  such  as  that  intended  by  the  Standard. 

The  question  is  sometimes  asked,  how  close  shall  the  bar- 
ring be?  And  we  would  answer,  as  close  as  is  consistent  with 
the  work  of  obtaining  the  continuous  lines  of  barring  about  the 
surface  of  the  plumage.  The  barring  must  not  be  too  close, 
for  such  an  effect  to  be  obtained.  The  ideal  bird  in  its  surface 
color  would  give  the  effect  of  one  large,  beautifully  barred 
feather  covering  the  whole  bird  and  harmonizing  completely  in 
the  lines  of  each  section.  With  such  a  bird  in  the  mind's  eye, 
one  would  spend  some  time  in  search  for  a  bird  that  would  touch 
the  96  mark,  and  the  lover  of  the  high  score  would  have  to 
open  negotiations  with  Dame  Nature  upon  a  very  liberal  scale 
in  order  to  induce  her  to  render  her  assistance  in  the  produc- 
tion of  the  specimens  deserving  a  mark  around  the  high  90s. 

Some  fanciers  go  to  extremes  in  the  matter  of  color  in  Bar- 
red Rocks,  one  faction  looking  almost  entirely  to  the  matter 
of  under  color  and  seemingly  ignoring  that  of  the  surface,  while 
another  faction  looks  only  to  the  color  of  the  surface  and  pays 
but  little  attention  to  the  under  color.  Of  the  two  factions  we 
would  prefer  to  be  among  those  favoring  the  surface  color 
rather  than  among  those  giving  too  much  attention  to  the  under 
color,  as  the  surface  is  what  lies  before  the  eye,  while  the  under 
color  is  hidden  from  sight.  The  beauty  of  the  bird  depends 
largely  upon  its  surface  color,  as  is  the  case  with  the  speci- 
mens of  any  variety,  but  the  highest  quality  of  plumage  must 
be  good  upon  both  the  surface  and  the  under  part.  In  fact, 
the  plumage  of  a  Barred  Rock,  considering  it  as  one  feather, 
must  be  barred  its  entire  length,  with  straight,  narrow,  parallel 
bars  of  blue-black  or  dark  blue,  to  be  in  effect  a  black  with 
that  soft  shade,  that  is  in  strong  contrast  with  that  metallic  or 
lustrous  black  which  the  Standard  cautions  one  to  stop  short  of 
in  the  development  of  the  color  of  the  bar.  The  barring  is  to 
be  as  close  as  is  consistent  with  the  production  of  the  line  bar- 
ring about  the  surface  of  the  bird  and  giving  it  its  greatest  beau- 
ty of  plumage. 

The  color  and  character  of  the  Barred  Rock  plumage  must 


PLYMOUTH  ROCKS.  11 

be  uniform  in  all  sections  and  are  indeed  diflEicult  to  produce 
in  the  best  form  and  have  proved  stumbling  blocks  in  the 
progress  of  many  a  fancier,  giving  the  Barred  Rock  the  reputa- 
tion of  being  one  of  our  most  difficult  varieties  to  produce  with 
a  high  quality  of  plumage.  To  many  people  that  which  is  hard- 
est to  obtain  is  highest  prized,  and  may  to  some  extent,  ac- 
count for  the  popularity  of  the  Barred  Rock  as  an  exhibition 
bird.     Its  real  popularity,  however,  is  due  to  its  strong  combina- 


Typical  White   Plymouth   Rocks,   Male   and  Female. 

tion  of  practical  and  fancy  qualities,  making  it  a  strong  favorite 
with  both  the  practical  poultryman  and  the  enthusiastic  fancier, 
and  is  fully  deserving  of  their  most  enthusiastic  support. 

White  Plymouth  Rocks. 

The  best  of  the  White  Plymouth  Rocks  were  developed  from 
pure  white  sports  thrown  out  by  pullet  matings  of  Barred  Rocks. 
When  they  first  came  before  the  public  and  began  to  be  popu- 
lar, various  crosses  of  Plymouth  Rocks  and  white  birds,  includ- 
ing Single  Comb  White  Leghorns,  were  made  by  breeders  who 
were  in  haste  to  make  money  by  supplying  the  demand  for 
White  Rocks  which  at  that  time  was  in  excess  of  the  supply. 
These  crosses,  however,  did  not  by  any  means  keep  pace  with 
the  strains  developed  from  sports  and  soon  went  out  of  existence. 

Daniel  Christian,  of  Rhoanoke,  Ind.,  told  me  while  at  the 
Indianapolis  show,  years  ago,  that  his  stock  had  given  him  quite 
a  number  of  these  sports,   equal  in  all  respects  except  color  to 


12 


POULTRY  MANUAL. 


tore^^Jwoi,yc« 


A  Buff  Plymouth  Rock  Cockerel  that  Won  First  Honors  at  a 

Leading-  American  Show.     His  Tail  Plumage  Was  Not 

Fully  Developed,  Otherwise  He  was  Shown  in 

Excellent   Condition. 


PLYMOUTH    ROCKS.  13 

his  best  specimens  of  tlie  original  race.  Mr.  Frost,  of  Maine, 
was  among  the  first  to  bring  before  the  fancy  this  white  variety 
as  a  distinct  race,  to  advertise  and  make  it  popular. 

Some  of  the  best  records  that  have  been  l^ept  of  laying  are 
to  the  credit  of  the  White  Plymouth  Rocks.  In  the  "National 
Stockman  and  Farmer"  egg  contest,  the  surprising  egg  yield  of 
an  average  of  289  eggs  each,  was  credited  to  a  pen  of  eight  fowls 
of  thJb  variety.  The  value  for  the  eggs  was  $5.00  to  each  hen 
during  the  year,  or  $40.16  for  the  eight  birds;  a  good  return,  was 
it  not?  The  third  pen  in  the  contest  were  also  White  Plymouth 
Rocks,  averaging  280  eggs  each,  the  eggs  valued  at  $4.00  per 
hen.     This  shows  what  good  fowls  under  good  care  can  do. 

In  shape  of  every  section  and  in  color  of  comb,  ear  lobes, 
wattles  and  shanks.  White  Rocks  are  the  exact  counterpart  of 
the  Barred  variety.  The  general  characteristics  of  the  breed, 
too,  are  much  like  those  of  its  progenitors.  Its  plumage  should 
be  pure  white,  without  brass  on  the  surface  or  oily  yellow  color 
in  the  under  feathering. 

Buff  Plymouth  Rocks. 

Buff  Rocks  like  White  Rocks  originated  in  the  east,  the 
first  specimens  of  that  variety  coming  from  northern  New  York, 
according  to  most  authorities.  Mr.  Wilson,  of  that  state,  ex- 
hibited a  number  of  them  in  the  early  nineties  and  soon  after 
they  began  to  be  recognized  as  a  distinct  variety  and  to  be 
classified  as  such  at  shows. 

In  type  and  characteristics,  except  as  to  color,  they  should 
be  an  exact  copy  of  the  other  varieties  of  the  Plymouth  Rock 
breed  while  their  color  should  be  a  clear,  even  buff  of  medium 
shade.  The  earlier  specimens  of  the  variety  showed  consider- 
able foreign  color,  either  black  or  white  or  both,  in  their 
plumage,  more  especially  in  neck,  wings  and  tail.  Careful  breed- 
ing, however,  has  produced  now  and  then  an  absolutely  buff 
bird  of  satisfactory  shade.  In  breeding,  the  majority  of  fan- 
ciers believe  that  black  is  preferable  to  white  in  that  it  adds 
strength  to  the  leproduction  of  color. 

Newer  Varieties  of  Rocks. 

Silver  Pencilled  Plymouth  Rocks  are  of  comparatively  re- 
cent production  and  are  birds  of  Plymouth  Rock  type  in  shape, 
head  poinf^,  etc.,  but  have  coloring  of  the  Dark  Brahma.  Par- 
tridge Plymouth  Rocks  h^ve  been  bhown  for  some  years  at  the 
more  important  shows  and  follow  the  original  Plymouth  Rock 
in  shape,  size  and  other  points  except  color  which  is  like  that 
of  the  Partridge  Cochin.  Recently  Columbian  Plymouth  Rocks 
have  taken  the  field  and  seem  destined  to  become  fairly  popular. 
Thoy  also  have  the  Plymouth  Rock  shape  and  color  except  that 
of  plumage  which  in  its  perfection  is  similar  to  that  of  the  Light 
Brahma. 


THE  WYANDOTTE  FAMILY 

This  Breed  Shares  with  Plymouth  Rocks  the  Honor  of  the 

Most  Popular  American  Variety — Its  Several  Varieties 

Their  Origin,  Development  and  Characteristics. 


"The  best  Wyandottes"  (Silver  Laced,  then  the  only  varie- 
ty,) was  the  object  that  sent  me  on  a  long  hunt  through  the 
East  in  the  autumn  of  1885.  I  had  seen  them  in  a  breeder's  yard 
and  once  at  Chicago  when  Mr.  McKeen  showed  them  at  the 
Chicago  exhibition,  held  in  the  North  Side  Museum.  But  this 
time  I  was  bound  to  search  out  the  best  the  East  had.  Houd- 
lette,  of  Massachusetts,  Millington  and  Bourne,  of  Vermont,  Hull, 
of  New  York,  and  many  others  were  in  the  route  pursued. 

In  Columbia  county,  N.  Y.,  we  struck  a  hot  bed  of  Wyan- 
dotte fanciers.  At  Chatham  a  carriage  was  hired  and  I  drove 
to  the  home  of  Jones  Wilcox  (one  among  the  many  good  fanciers 
who  have  passed  from  among  us).  Shrewd,  enthusiastic  Jones, 
he  knew  every  Wyandotte  in  the  country,  and  had  a,  lot  of  good 
ones.  Mr.  Wilcox  was  not  loathe  to  show  me  what  others  had. 
Hull,  Gillette,  Delevan,  Joles,  and  ethers  whose  names  I  do 
not  now  recall,  were  sought  out.  Now  and  then,  down  a  lane 
to  a  quiet  cottage  in  a  nook  where  only  the  neighbors  ever 
knew,  there  were  Wyandottes,  the  coming  fowl,  in  the  poultry 
yard  or  about  the  orchard. 

Prices  had  commenced  to  go  up,  and  anything  in  any  way 
resembling  the  Wyandotte  found  buyers.  Everything  was  claim- 
ed for  the  Wyandotte,  and  hundreds  of  young  fanciers  bought 
and  attempted  to  breed  them,  who  understood  nothing  of  train- 
ing such  a  pattern  of  feather.  It  was  to  the  detriment  of  the 
reputation  of  the  race  that  it  got  into  so  many  inexperienced 
hands,  and  it  has  taken  until  only  recently  to  find  its  level  again, 
which  it  justly  deserves. 

Most  all  of  the  females  in  those  days  that  had  open  centers 
were  strongly  frosted  on  the  outer  edge  of  the  breast,  and  many 
on  back  and  wings  as  well,  and  backs  filled  with  the  dreaded 
mossiness  were  common.  So  was  brassiness  in  the  males,  and 
males  that  did  not  tan  to  brassiness  easily  were  rare.  These 
faults  are  to-day  troublesome,  but  seldom  seen  in  the  best  show 
rooms  to  any  great  degree.  Combs  were  all  styles  that  a  rose 
comb  can  get  into — broad,  narrow,   high  and  low   behind,   flat, 


WYANDOTTES. 


15 


concave  or  rocker  topped,  and  some  fell  heavily  over  the  eyes. 
A  really  bad  comb  in  a  Wyandotte  to-day  is  seldom  shown.    ' 

After  they  were  admitted  to  the  Standard,  sales  increased, 
and  they  were  bred  to  fit  the  Standard,  and  some  construed  the 
meaning  of  small,  white  centers  in  back  of  female,  to  mean  the 
white  shafted  black  back  often  seen  and  easy  to  produce,  cover- 
ing the  moss  and  crowding  out  the  frosted  edge  with  an  over 


A  Silver  Wyandotte  Female  With  Centers  of  the  Medium  Type. 


amount  of  black.  Pullets  that  with  some  judges  obtained  high, 
scores,  were  produced  with  little  culling,  and  the  true  open  cen- 
ter and  laced  effect  was  lost  in  many  yards.  Those  who  pre- 
served the  true  idea,  the  laced  plumage,  are  reaping  their  re- 
ward today. 

Silver  Wyandottes. 

The  origin  of  the  Silver  Laced  Wyandotte  was  always  a  mys- 


16  POULTRY  MANUAL. 

tery.  Mr.  Newton  Adams  told  me  he  knew  of  them  in  the  early 
seventies  in  northern  New  York.  Early  writings  and  pictures 
show  that  the  Wyandotte  sprung  out  of  an  attempt  to  produce 
the  Sebright  Cochin;  but  we  fancy  that  the  original  idea  of  this 
type  was  given  up  on  account  of  the  difficulties  that  beset  every 
fancier  attempting  to  produce  single  lacing  on  a  fluffy  plum- 
aged  bird.  The  mossy  peppering  of  color  seems  persistent  on 
the  parti-colored  birds  of  Asiatic  type. 

Our  own  experience  with  the  Wyandotte  confirmed  our  faith 
in  their  economic  qualities.  As  exhibition  fowls,  we  found  that 
they  must  be  bred  along  particular  lines  very  closely  or  their 
pattern  of  coloring  could  not  be  depended  upon.  Indiscriminate- 
ly breeding  one  strain  with  another  threw  all  styles  of  lacing 
and,  not  rarely,  spangles  (moon  shaped)  on  the  breast,  and  very 
dark  and  very  light,  both  from  the  same  mating,  although  the 
parent  stock  might  be  ever  so  well  matched  and  almost  perfect 
individuals  in  color.  Our  best  productions  for  the  show  pens 
were  always  from  stock  closely  related  and  following  particular 
lines  for  several  seasons. 

Golden  Wyandottes 

The  early  history  of  the  Golden  Wyandotte  can  be  told  best 
by  their  originator,  Mr.  Joseph  McKeen^  of  Wisconsin.  There 
are  other  strains  besides  this  one  that  appeared  after  this  was 
brought  out.  One  which  showed^  indications  of  the  Partridge 
Cochin  being  used  in  its  make  up — through  its  many  coarse  fea- 
tures. 

Mr.  McKeen  said:  "The  Golden  American  Seb rights  were 
one-half  of  the  Silver  blood  at  the  first,  and  my  Golden  Wyan- 
dottes are  more  than  one-half  of  that  blood  now,  and  are  de- 
scendants from  the  old  Sebright  Cochins  on  the  female  side." 

"The  Winnebagoes,  the  top  cross  that  gave  the  American 
Sebright  the  golden  color,  were  a  black-red  fowl  of  real  practical 
merit,  and  were  very  handsome,  especially  the  males  with  their 
golden  and  green-black  plumage  that  glistened  in  the  sunlight. 
The  hens  wore  a  plainer  dress  with  irregular  markings.  They 
were  bred  more  at  the  village  of  Waukan  than  in  any  other  local- 
ity. They  were  considered  by  their  owners  the  business  hen. 
Some  of  the  males  had  black  breasts,  others  were  of  a  deep 
cinnamon-buff  throughout,  except  the  wings  and  tail  which  were 
black." 

There  was  a  fineness  and  clearness  about  the  McKeen 
Goldens  that  told  of  a  very  careful  and  thoughtful  makeup.  We 
have  seen  clearer  color  in  Goldens  than  even  in  the  Silvers.  This 
after  the  much  longer  period  of  "making  up"  which  the  Silvers 
had,  would  lead  one  to  believe  that  the  Goldens  possess  a  com- 
bination of  coloring  nearer  to  nature.  The  continual  selection 
among  Silvers  for  pure  silvery  white  and  black  often  tempts  to 
keeping  weaker  or  poorer  specimens  in  other  qualities,  while 


WYANDOTTES. 


■ipsr' 


17 


i__. 


A  Pair   of   Remarkably   Well-Colored  Golden   Wyandottes. 

vigor  and  strength  in  Goldens  is  found  more  often  among  tlie 
best  colored  birds.  I  tliink  Mr.  McKeen  never  claimed  to  use 
any  other  blood  in  the  Golden  Wyandotte's  makeup  than  the 
Silver  Wyandotte  and  the  Winnebagoes. 

The  Wyandotte  plumage  has  been  variously  described  and 
idealized  in  many  ways  here  in  America,  some  demanding  the 
open  Sebright  lacing,  others  being  satisfied  with  very  narrow  cen- 


18  POULTRY  MANUAL. 

ters  of  the  light  color,  and  some  exhibited  with  backs  of  the 
female  showing  scarce  more  than  the  shaft  of  the  feather  col- 
ored with  silver  or  golden  as  the  variety  might  be.  Our  English 
friends,  on  the  contrary,  have  always  demanded  the  true  open 
lacing  as  is  tound  on  fine  specimens  of  the  Sebright  Bantam 
and  on  Laced  Polish  fowls.  One  English  illustrator  we  saw 
showed  even  the  tail  proper  so  laced,  and  while  this  would  be 
beautiful  and  desirable  when  it  will  have  been  secured,  yet  we  do 
not  know  of  it  ever  having  been  attained  by  any  breeder.  Such 
an  accomplishment  would  make  a  fancier  famous  the  world  over, 
and  bring  calls  from  many  an  appreciative  fancier  for  others  like 
it,  but  we  think  this  point  is  yet  a  long  way  off;  no  telling,  how- 
ever, in  these  times  of  ever-occuring  surprises  l3y  our  ambitious 
experimenters. 

A  Wyandotte  with  plumage  of  small  feathers  never  can  show 
its  lacing  to  such  striking  effect  as  one  on  which  the  feathers  are 
large  and  where  the  lacings  stand  out  like  large  circles  of  color, 
"loop  after  loop"  upon  the  clear  white  of  the  silver  or  the  rich 
bay  color  of  the  Golden. 

A  few  points  as  to  the  type  of  the  Wyandottes,  may  help 
the  novice  to  select  his  birds  to  the  style  desired.  In  no  way 
should  the  Wyandotte  appear  narrow,  but  plump  and  full  in  every 
section.  It  is  distinctly  a  select  table  fowl  and  should  be  gen- 
erously filled  out. 

Tha  illustration  will  best  describe  the  comb,  low  and  com- 
pact, nearly  as  broad  as  thd  skull  in  the  male,  not  drooping  at 
the  sides,  but  extending  up  and  widening  from  a  firm  base,  each 
side  alike,  and  the  corrugations  flat  on  top,  no  depression  in  the 
center.  The  spike  at  the  back  should  follow  the  rocker  shape 
of  the  top,  turning  slightly  downward,  but  not  falling  against 
the  head.  The  head  of  the  Wyandotte  is  short,  broad  and 
arched,  the  throat  rather  thick.  The  beak  short  and  well  curv- 
ed; the  neck  of  the  Wyandotte  is  fuller  than  in  the  Plymouth 
Rock,  especially  as  it  joins  the  head;  the  arch  of  the  neck  is 
quite  pronounced;  the  back  is  broad  and  the  cushion  a  little 
too  full  to  be  fiat,  slightly  curved.  The  breast  should  be  full  and 
round  as  possible,  deep  and  well  meated,  carried  pretty  well 
forward  when  the  bird  stands  proudly.  The  shoulders  broad  and 
wings  carried  close,  well  tucked  up,  not  drooping  or  bantam 
fashion.  The  tail,  as  low  as  forty-five  degrees,  well  spread,  as 
seen  from  the  side,  and  opening  out  when  viewed  from  the  rear. 
The  Wyandotte  tail  is  of  moderate  size,  but  much  more  spread 
than  in  the  Plymouth  Rock,  which  is  wanted  close  and  compact. 
The  Wyandotte  has  a  considerable  amount  of  under  fiuff  which 
serves  it  well  in  cold  seasons,  but  the  surface  of  the  fluff  should 
be  smooth,  and  but  fairly  rounded,  in  no  way  excessive  or 
Cochiny 

The  legs  are  stout  and  muscular,  set  on  wide  apart,  of  mod- 
erate length,  rather  of  the  short  order  for  so  large  a  fowl;   toes 


WYANDOTTES. 


19 


perfectly  straight  and  flat  on  the  ground.  In  selecting  for  color  have 
the  plumage  rich  and  brilliant  whether  the  shade  be  light  or 
dark,  and  the  black  lacing  should  possess  a  gloss.  Avoid  all 
mossiness  and  keep  the  old  hens  that  continue  to  keep  their 
plumage  right.  If  a  bird  is  right  at  two  or  three  years  old  she 
can  be  depended  upon  for  clearly  laced  young  stock,  but  Wyan- 


Feathers    From   Male   and   Female   Laced  Wyandottes. 


dotte  pullets  are  often  not  so  reliable  as  they  promise  in  their 
first  year's  plumage. 

Breeding  Laced  Wyandottes. 

Breeding  the  laced  Wyandottes  has  been  a  puzzle  to  so  many 
that  we  cannot  refrain  from  giving  the  experience  of  those  who 
have  succeeded  in  producing  and  retaining  the  clear,  open  laced 
plumage: 

First,  let  me  say  that  open  laced  females  cannot  be  produced 
from  males  with  necks  and  saddles  having  "a  clear  black  stripe 
through  the  center  of  each  feather,"  as  described  by  our  Ameri- 
can Standard.  Such  a  plumage  is  not  the  mate  of  open  laced 
females,  and  will  not  produce  plumage  with  a  true  laced  effect. 


20 


POULTRY  MANUAL. 


In  our  sketches  1,  2  and  3,  you  have  saddle  and  hackle  of  the 
male  and  the  hackle  of  the  female  with  open  laced  back,  saddle 


^^^  '^\^  V^)  'I 


An  Illustration  Showing  a  Typical  Wyandotte  Head  and  Back, 


WYANDOTTES. 


21 


and  wings.  In  the  hackle  of  the 
male  the  quill  must  be  white, 
and  the  saddle  next  to  the  tail 
must  show  a  clearly  defined 
white  stripe  with  no  uneven 
edges  or  gray  intermixed.  Males 
marked  in  this  way,  when  cor- 
rectly marked  in  other  sections, 
can  be  depended  on  to  bring  the 
coveted  open  lacing. 

In  figure  4  we  have  depicted 
the  hackle,  saddle  and  wing  bar 
of  the  male  we  have  just  de- 
scribed. Figure  5  presents  the 
type  of  head  and  neck  as  we 
have  seen  it  on  the  best  speci- 
mens of  the  breed.  If  we  com- 
pared it  to  any  other  breed  we 
would  say  nearest  to  the  Brah- 
ma of  any  of  the  old  races, 
though  "finer"  and  not  so  broad 
in  skull,  nor  thick  about  the  throat. 


White  Wyandotte  Hen. 


White  Wyandottes. 

The  White  Wyandotte  is  by  a  wide  margin  the  most  popu- 
lar of  the  Wyandotte  varieties  among  the  fanciers  and  has  proven 
a  great  favorite  as  a  market  fowl,  especially  in  New  England 
markets,  where  yellow  skinned  fowls  take  the  lead.     In  the  best 

yards  the  type  differs  very  little 
from  that  of  the  laced  varieties, 
therefore  they  require  no  extend- 
ed description.  They  are  quite 
as  hardy  as  the  others,  in  fact 
should  be  hardier,  as  they  re- 
quire less  inbreeding  to  retain 
their  show  points.  For  the  nov- 
ice they  should  be  preferred 
among  all  the  Wyandottes. 

The  Buff  Wyandottes. 

With  the  fancy  for  buff  fowls, 
was  born  the  "craze"  for  Buff 
Wyandottes.  The  shortest  cut 
to  this  variety  was  through 
the  Buff  Cochin,  and  the  best 
strains  of  them  to-day  must  show 
a  large  per  cent  of  Cochin  blood. 
White    Wyandotte    Cock.  However,    it    is    no    discredit    to 


22 


POULTRY  MANUAL. 


the  Buff  Wyandotte,  and  if  we  were  selecting  we  would  look  for 
those  possessing  the  greatest  amount  of  Cochin  blood.  Doing 
away  with  the  excessive  feathering  is  easier  than  is  the  securing 
of  true  buff  color  without  it. 

The  Black  Wyandotte  some  years  ago  made  its  appeal  for 


Prominent   Buff   Wyandotte   Winners    of   the   Northwest. 


favor  and  we  saw  exhibited  many  very  good   specimens.    But 
for  some  reason  they  seem  to  be  preferred  by  only  a  few  fanciers. 

Partridge  and  Silver  Penciled  Varieties. 

These  two  varieties  originated  in  New  York  State,  the  birth- 
place of  a  number  of  other  American  new  varieties,   and  first 


WYANDOTTES. 


23 


began  to  be  shown  at  the  poultry  exhibits  of  1903  to  1905.  The 
Partridge  variety  has  plumage  the  same  as  the  Partridge  Cochin 
and  the  Silver  Penciled  variety  the  same  as  that  of  the  dark 
Brahma.  In  other  respects  both  are  similar  to  other  varieties 
of    Wyandottes,    the    Standard    requiring    the    same   shape,    the 


A   First   Prize   Winning    Columbian   Wyandotte    Alale, 

same  form  of  comb,  head,  ear  lobes,  wattles,  etc.  Therefore  they 
have  the  same  practical  qualities  as  the  older  varieties  if  they 
are  as  well  bred  and  as  well  handled. 

Columbian  Wyandottes. 

One  of  the  most  attractive  and  upe  of  the  most  popular  varie- 


24  POULTRY  MANUAL. 

ties  of  this  breed  (Wyandottes)  is  the  Columbian.  Birds  of  this 
variety  have  the  same  requirements  regarding  shape  of  all  parts 
and  color  of  all  sections  except  plumage  as  the  White  Wyan- 
dottes. Its  feathering  is  required  to  be  the  same  in  color  as 
that  of  the  Light  Brahma  except  that,  of  course,  the  Wyandotte 
has  no  shank  and  foot  plumage^  This  combination  of  color  is 
very  attractive  on  a  clean  legged  bird  and  it  is  not  surprising, 
therefore,  that  the  Columbians  are  decidedly  popular. 


BLACK  AND  MOTTLED  JAVAS 


Two  Good  General  Purpose  Varieties  with  a  Type  Peculiar 
to  their  Own  Kind. 


Where  the  first  Javas  originated  seems  never  to  have  been 
satisfactorily  explained;  we  used  to  hear  stories  of  a  certain 
western  doctor's  coachman  who  sold,  or  gave  away,  some  eggs 
of  these  fowls  in  which  the  good  doctor  prided  himself  very 
much,  and  kept  very  exclusive.  Their  produce  or  offspring 
managed  to  find  their  way  to  the  Lattin  Brothers  of  New  York, 
who  were  their  strongest  promoters  for  some  time,  and  who  per- 
haps did  as  much  to  improve  them  as  any  one  interested  in  them. 

Of  the  Javas  less  seems  written  than  perhaps  any  other  race 
of  fowl  of  so  long  a  standing  in  our  country.  They  have  been 
known  to  the  poultry  industry  as  a  thoroughly  good,  practical 
fowl.  In  fact,  the  Javas  very  closely  approach  the  type  of  birds 
most  selected  by  American  poultrymen  as  likely  to  combine  the 
best  utilitarian  qualities.  In  1873,  H.  S.  Ramsdell,  of  Connecti- 
cut, told  of  the  Javas  being  used  in  the  make-up  of  the  Plymouth 
Rock.  The  Java  hens  which  were  used  belonged  to  a  Mr 
George  Clark,  of  Woodstock,  and  the  males  were  Dominiques  on 
the  farm  of  Joseph  Spaulding,  who  lived  about  a  mile  from  Mr. 
Ramsdell.  The  Javas  were  the  larger  and  stronger  of  the  two 
races,  with  much  the  stronger  bodies.  The  Plymouth  Rock  of 
to-day  owes  much  of  its  quality  to  the  Black  Javas  as  they  were 
in  the  60's  and  we  doubt  if  they  are  in  any  way  an  improvement 
over  the  Java  for  a  money-making  breed  aside  from  the  differ- 
ence of  a  more  popular  color. 

The  weight  of  the  Javas  as  shown  to-day  about  equals  the 
modern  Plymouth  Rocks.  The  ten-pound  cock  and  eight-pound 
hen  scarce  present  an  equal  appearance  in  size  to  the  Rocks,  as 
the  Javas  are  closer  and  smoother  plumaged.  The  body  of  the 
Java  is  longer  and  the  plumage  of  the  tail  being  much  longer 


JAVAS. 


25 


A  Pair  of  Typical   Black  Javas. 


only  helps  to  add  to  the  apparent  length.  The  outlines  of  the 
Java  are  more  angular  than  in  others  of  the  American  classes, 
the  back  long  and  flat,  the  breast  deep  and  rather  prominent  at 
the  point  of  the  breast  bone.  The  underlines  of  the  body  run 
more  angular  than  in  fowls  possessing  more  fluff  about  the  thighs. 


26  POULTRY  MANUAL. 

The  legs  are  cordy  and  strong,  of  moderate  length,  and  the 
toes  neat.  The  head  is  not  carried  quite  so  proudly  back  nor 
the  neck  so  much  arched  as  in  some  races,  but  rather  high  up 
in  a  manner  to  emphasize  the  square  conformation  of  the  bird's 
ma'^ie-up^  The  back  slopes  from  the  shoulders  to  the  tail 
where  it  forms  an  abrupt  angle  with  a  moderately  narrow  but 
well  furnished  tail,  much  larger  than  that  desired  in  the  Plym- 
outh Rock,  but  not  so  large  nor  expanded  as  that  found  on  the 
well-bred  Langshan. 

In  the  largest  Eastern  shows  we  are  occasionally  favored  by 
a  look  at  the  attractively  attired  mottled  Java.  The  type  of 
these  birds  is  identical  with  the  black.  The  plumage  at  first 
glance  much  resembles  the  well  broken  color  of  the  Hondan, 
though  the  black  and  white  is  more  splashed  in  effect,  and  more 
evenly  divided  than  in  most  Houdans  seen  of  late  years  in  our 
shows.  These  mottled  birds  about  ten  or  twelve  years  ago  bid 
fair  to  become  quite  popular,  but  for  some  reason  their  owners 
did  not  continue  their  promotion,  through  advertising  and  in  the 
many  ways  necessary  to  popularize  them,  until  to-day  they  are 
really  very  scarce  indeed. 


RHODE  ISLAND  REDS 


The  Latest  American  Production  to  Gain  Popularity  as  a 
Breed — Their  Characteristics,  Etc. 


Years  ago  the  poultrymen  of  Rhode  Island  who  gained  rev- 
enue from  the  selling  of  eggs  and  dressed  poultry,  made  various 
crosses,  using  principally  Asiatic,  Mediterranean  and  Game 
blood,  and  from  these  crosses  a  bird  of  various  shades  of  red 
and  even  with  more  or  less  black  and  white  in  plumage  was 
evolved.  These  fowls  had  both  single  and  rose  combs  but 
proved  to  be  very  productive  of  eggs,  rapid  growers  of  flesh  and 
generally  hardy  and  able  to  take  care  of  themselves  on  the 
Rhode  Island  farms. 

In  the  90s  they  began  to  be  shown  in  eastern  shows  as 
Rhode  Island  Reds  and  about  1900  the  Rhode  Island  Red  boom 
started.  At  that  time  they  did  not  breed  very  true  to  either 
shape,  color  or  comb,  but  in  the  few  years  following  they  made 
marked  improvement  in  the  hands  of  intelligent  breeders  and 
now  they  breed  very  true  to  color,  type  and  comb,  though  the 
single  comb  variety  seems  to  have  made  the  most  improvement, 
especially  in  regard  to  shape.  Both  varieties,  however,  have  the 
same  standard  requirements  and  are  not  unlike  the  Plymouth 
Rocks  in  conformation  though  they  are  considerably  different 
in  the  shape  of  back  and  shape  and  carriage  of  tail.     Their  rich 


RHODE  ISLAND  REDS. 


27 


Rhode  Island  Red  Male  and  Female. 


red  color  makes  them  an  attractive  bird  and  several  years  of 
selection  for  color,  etc.,  do  not  seem  to  have  detracted  much 
from  their  value  as  market  fowls  and  egg  producers.  In  size  they 
are  smaller  than  the  Plymouth  Rocks,  though  occasional  speci- 
mens reach  and  even  exceed  the  Plymouth  Rock  average. 


THE  BRAHMAS 


These  are  the  Heaviest  of  Domesticated  Fowls  and  Among  the 
Handsomest  of  the  Standard  Breeds — ^Their  Origin, 
Development  and  Characteristics. 


It  was  in  the  '40's  and  '50's  that  the  large  fowls  known  then 
as  "Gray  Shanghais"  and  "Gray  Chittagongs"  began  to  be  brought 
into  our  country  from  Chinese  ports,  and  by  the  early  enthusiasts 
were  blended  into  what  were  termed  "Brahmapootras"  early  in 
the  '50's. 

These  Asiatics  have  proven  a  valuable  acquisition  to  Ameri- 
can and  English  poultry  yards.  They  have  developed  through 
skillful  handling  into  one  of  the  strongest  types  seen  in  our  show 
rooms,  and  one  of  the  best  for  producers  of  flesh  and  eggs.  They 
have  also  entered  into  the  composition  of  the  best  varieties 
America  has  produced:  the  Wyandottes  and  Plymouth  Rocks. 
The  English  and  French  poultry  growers  also  esteem  them  high- 
ly for  the  make-up  of  their  best  crosses  for  table  poultry.  The 
famous  French  "Favorelle"  owes  its  size  to  this  large  Asiatic. 
At  the  best  shows  of  dressed  poultry  in  England,  we  have  seen 
many  carcasses  exhibited  that  were  claimed  to  be  Dorking- 
Brahma,  Indian  Game-Brahma,  etc  ,  etc. 

On  the  farm  the  often  too  generous  feeding,  especially  of 
fattening  grains,  has  given  the  Brahma,  as  well  as  most  large 
fowls,  a  reputation  of  "loafers"  and  poor  egg  producers.  These 
Asiatics  should  be  fed  only  a  sufficient  quantity  to  keep  them  in 
good  health  and  spirits.  When  possible  have  them  scratch  and 
find  all  they  require.  They  are  more  productive  when  compelled 
to  hunt  and  work  for  their  food.  The  Brahmas  have  been  se- 
lected to  a  type  and  plumage  resembling  more  the  Chittagongs 
than  the  early  Shanghais.  The  preference  has  been  for  the 
Brahmas  with  a  smooth  plumage  in  contrast  to  the  loose,  fluffy 
feathering  of  the  Shanghais  or  Cochins. 

The  Brahmas  which  were  sent  by  Mr.  Burnam  to  the  Queen 
of  England  in  1852  and  illustrated  by  Mr.  Harrison  Weir,  posr 
sessed  single  combs  about  as  large  as  are  now-a-*days  seen  on  the 
Plymouth  Rocks.  These  early  Brahmas  were  about  as  heavily 
feathered  as  many  of  the  cross-bred  Brahmas  and  Cochins  show- 
ed at  the  present  day.  Their  throats  showed  less  dewlap  than 
is  seen  on  the  heavier  show  specimens  of  the  present.  Their 
middle  toes  are  illustrated  as  being  quite  bare,  and  the  shanks 


BRAHMAS. 


29 


feathered  about  as  much  as  now  desired  on  the  Langshan 
Their  wings  were  about  the  same  size  as  now.  They  also  show 
well  proportioned  bodies,  a  good  foundation  for  the  Brahma  of 


Winning   Specimens   of  Light   Brahmas. 


to-day,  excepting  the  pea  comb,  which  was  urged  as  the  correct 
comb  for  an  exhibition  Brahma,  about  1866. 

The  complete  lacing  of  the  tail  coverts,  as  well  as  of  the 


30 


POULTRY  MANUAL. 


neck  hackle,  has  been  strongly  sought  after,  of  late  years;  we 
noted  several  birds  particularly  good  in  this  fine  color  point. 
Line  breeding  results  in  precision  of  color  and  when,  by  studi- 
ous selection,  it  is  so  exquisitely  placed  as  on  the  neck  and  tail 


Dark    Brahmas   That    Show    Excellent   Color    but   Not   Typical 

Shape. 


of  the  modern  exhibition  Light  Brahma,  the  effect  is  that  of  ele- 
gance and  finish. 

The  Dark  Brahmas. 

At  the  time  that  the  ancestors  of  the  present  Light  Brahma 
were  brought  into  this  country,  fowls  with  like  characteristics 
came  with  them.  Some  were  very  dark  in  color,  almost  black 
and  red,  and  others  lighter.  From  these  lighter  ones  was  bred 
the  Dark  Brahma  of  today. 

In  size  the  dark  variety  is  about  one  pound  lighter  than  the 
light  variety,  but  the  shape  and  style,  type  of  comb  and  head, 


COCHINS.  •  31 

etc.,  are  practically  identical.  The  color  of  plumage  is  decidedly 
beautiful,  the  male  having  the  breast  and  body  of  a  deep  black 
and  neck  and  hackle  of  silver  white  w^ith  black  stripe  extending 
down  the  middle  of  each  feather.  Its  back  is  of  silvery  white 
and  its  saddle  of  the  same  color  with  a  stripe  of  black  down  the 
middle  of  each  feather,  same  as  in  the  hackle^  The  main  tail 
is  glossy,  greenish  black. 

The  female  has  a  hackle  of  the  same  color  as  the  male  with 
a  body  covering  of  gray  with  distinct  dark  pencillings  in  lines 
which  conform  to  the  shape  of  the  feathers.  This  variety  fur- 
nishes the  coloring  for  Silver  Penciled  Plymouth  Rocks  and 
Silver  Penciled  Wyandottes,  For  some  reason  they  are  not  as 
popular  and  not  as  widely  bred  or  extensively  shown  as  the 
light  variety  of  the  same  breed. 


THE  COCHINS 


An  Asiatic  Race  that  has  Found  Much  Favor  in  America  and 
Been  Much  Improved  by  American  Fanciers. 


Among  the  early  importations  of  Cochins,  then  called  Shang- 
hais, were  fowls  of  many  colors.  Various  hues  of  red  and  gray, 
also  black  and  white  were  illustrated  and  written  of.  Fanciers 
of  differing  tastes  made  their  own  selections  and  before  many 
years  had  passed  after  the  introduction  into  this  country  of  this 
ponderous  race,  they  were  separated  into  four  very  distinct  colors 
or  classes,  Buff,  Partridge,  White  and  Black. 

Buff  Cochins. 

Of  the  four  varieties  the  Buff  is  easily  the  most  popular. 
The  low  compactly  built  bodies  of  the  Cochin  and  thick,  loose 
feathering  often  to  the  ground,  make  a  remarkably  fine  setting 
for  buff  color. 

When  the  variety  first  began  to  be  popular  the  shade  of 
color  varied  all  the  way  from  a  light  lemon  to  a  dark  cinnamon, 
but  of  late  years  breeders  have  agreed  upon  the  medium  shade 
of  soft  buff  and  this  very  fact  is  responsible  in  a  large  measure 
for  the  popularity  of  the  variety  in  the  show  room  of  the  pres- 
ent day.  The  accompanying  illustrations  give  a  better  idea  of 
the  good  Cochin  shape,  the  kind  that  wins  in  competition,  than 
can  any  description  of  words. 

Partridge  Cochins. 

In  America  the  Partridge  Cochins  are  next  to  their  Buff 
cousins  in  public  favor,  and  among  students  of  color   the  Part- 


32 


POULTRY  MANUAL. 


ridge  penciling  fascinates  and  holds  many.  It  is  indeed  marvel- 
ous with  what  accuracy  the  plumage  of  some  hens  of  the  race 
are  marked  over  the  entire  body.  As  a  fancier  once  remarked 
to  us  when  showing  a  very  precise  feather  from  a  famous  bird, 
"and  I  can  pluck  one  in  the  dark,  from  any  place  on  her,  almost 
as  perfect."  This  is  one  of  the  great  ambitions  of  Partridge 
Cochin  fanciers,  to  get  the  plumage  of  their  females,  witli  the 
penciling  over  the  entire  bird,  even  through  the  fluff  and  on  the 
leg  and  toe  feathering.  The  Standard  has  been  rather  incon- 
sistent when  demanding  that  the  neck  hackle  of  the  hen  must 
have  solid  black  stripes  down  their  centers.  TMs  not  being  in 
keeping  with  clearly  traced  penciling,  but  coming  with  hens 
which  have  the  undesirable  pepperings  throughout  the  plumage — 
solid  striping  in  hackle  belongs  with  plumage  such  as  we  see 
on  the  Brown. 

There  have  heen  great  differences  in  shades  of  ground-color 
showing  the  Partridge  Cochin  from  light  brick-red  to  very  dark 
mahogany  brown,  and  some  so  dark  that  one  was  compelled  to 
stand  very  close  to  the  bird's  cage  to  distinguish  the  penciling 
at  all.  Such  very  dark  specimens  fail  to  be  as  attractive  as 
when  the  ground  color  forms  a  strong  contrast  with  the  black 
lines  of  penciling.  The  number  of  lines  in  the  pattern  and  the 
width  and  strength  of  them  has  much  to  do  with  the  beauty  oi 
the  bird  We  once  heard  an  old  fancier  say,  "I  like  the  pen- 
ciling strong  and  the  contrast  of  color  so  startling  that  I  can 


A   Sketch  of  Some  Winning  Buff  Cochins  at  One  of  America's 
Largest    Shows. 


COCHINS. 


A  Pair  of  Standard-Bred  Partridge  Cochins. 


see  the  pattern  of  the  markings  clear  across  the  yard."  The 
feather  "from  an  English  hen"  is  a  good  example  of  this  at- 
tractive style.  The  feathers  were  large  and  the  pattern  over 
the  entire  bird  very  bold.  The  black  was  glossy  and  the  ground 
color  as  light  as  ochre,  yet  rich  in  hue.  The  bird  made  quite  a 
sensation  on  her  appearance  at  the  Madison  Square  Garden 
Show,  and  v,'as  much  sought  after  by  several  old  breeders  of  the 
variety. 

The  same  form  is  selected  for  in  the  Partridges,  as  in  the 
Buffs,  though  few  fanciers  up  to  the  present  time  have  dared 
to  expect  such  fullness  of  feather  as  the  Buffs  now  carry  would 
allow  of  precise  penciling.  The  long,  fluffy  plumage  is,  however, 
being  gained  in  many  specimens  with  no  apparent  giving  up  of 
exactness  of  markings.  It  is  length  of  feather  rather  than  loose- 
ness of  plumage  which  is  sought  for  in  the  Partridge  Cochin,  and 
so  long  as  the  surface  is  not  too  inuch  broken,  the  markings  will 
show  clearly. 

Few  succeed  in  getting  good  males  and  females  both  from 
the  same  mating,  as  solid  striping  of  hackles  and  saddles  and 
solid  black  breasts,  thighs,  fluffs  and  wing-bars  do  not  ofteu 
come  on  males  that  are  from  the  best  penciled  blood.     The  com- 


34  POULTRY  MANUAL. 

plications  of  the  double  mating  are  often  resorted  to  with  this 
variety — breeding  one  set  of  birds  only  for  males  and  an  entirely 
different  lot  for  females.  This  in  reality  is  producing  two  varie- 
ties, which  is  much  to  be  regretted,  but  with  the  present  Stand- 
ard requirements,  perfection  can  hardly  be  reached  in  both 
sexes  without  it 

In  the  male's  we  look  for  the  same  contrast  of  color  as  in 
females,  intense  glossy  black  and  orange  red  ground  color  for 
hackle,  wing,  shoulder,  back  and  saddle  hackles.  The  orange 
red  contrasts  more  than  do  darker  shades  of  red — however,  the 
orange  shade  must  be  rich  and  brilliant,  not  the  tawny  faded 
yellow  too  often  seen. 


Plumag-e  of  a  Female  Partridge  Cochin.     From  the  Left,   the 

First  Feather  is   From   an   English  Winner,   the   Second 

From  a  New  York  Winner  and  the  Third  a  Feather 

Having-  That  Undesirable   Mossy   Appearance. 

The  eyes  of  all  Cochins  should  be  red.  The  combs  should 
be  quite  small.  To  gain  size  of  body  and  length  of  feather 
without  running  up  large,  loosely  set-on  combs,  has  been  quite 
a  problem  to  many  handlers.  As  the  feeds  which  bring  size  and 
length  of  feather  are  apt  to  enlarge  the  combs — we  have  noticed 
that  the  best  rearers  of  Cochins  do  not  allow  meat  to  their 
birds,  when  making  ready  for  showing,  and  when  we  say,  "mak- 
ing ready,"  we  do  not  mean  merely  the  few  days  previous  to 
their  going  into  the  exhibition,  but  from  the  time  they  start  the 
plumage  they  are  to  be  shown  in.  Milk,  with  good  feeding  other- 
wise, makes  long  and  lustrous  plumage,  but  will  also  enlarge 
the  comb  on  account  of  the  oily  and  fatty  substances  in  it.  So 
the  question  arises,  how  can  we  get  one  without  the  other? 
Plenty  of  acid  in  the  form  of  fruit — apples  are  excellent — will 
help  keep  the  fattening  food  from  spoiling  the  neatness  of  the 
combs  by  making  them  too  coarse. 

The  Black  and  White  Varieties. 

Black  Cochins  have  not  proved  very  popular.  Nevertheless 
they   are   a  very  handsome   fowl.     Every   feather   should   be   a 


LANGSHANS.  '  S5 

deep,  lustrous  black  with  a  bottle  green  sheen  showing  on  the 
surface. 

White  Cochins  would  seem  to  be  very  acceptable  to  fanciers 
because  the  pure  white  plumage  displayed  on  a  bird  of  its  con- 
formation makes  a  truly  remarkable  specimen  and  one  which 
ought  to  attract  much  attention.  In  spite  of  this,  however,  com- 
paratively few  White  Cochins  are  bred  and  showed.  All  Cochim* 
are  of  the  same  shape  and  same  characteristics,  the  only  differv 
ence  being  in  their  color. 


BLACK  AND  WHITE  LANGSHANS 


The  Most  Graceful  of  the  Asiatic  Breeds  and  Good  General 
Purpose  Fowls. 


The  Langshan  is  suspected  of  having  sprung  from  the  same 
foundation  that  produced  the  Black  Cochins.  They  first  appear- 
ed in  England  in  the  early  '70s  and  from  England  came  to  Amer- 
ica. Few  breeds  have  been  hampered  in  their  advance  by  so 
much  controversy  regarding  the  correct  type.  Some  of  the  Eng- 
lish fanciers  bred  them  to  a  shape  which  was  so  leggy  and  ex- 
treme generally  that  their  Langshans  almost  resembled  games. 
Interest,  however,  finally  centered  in  a  more  practical  type  like 
that  represented  by  the  accompanying  illustration  of  Paragon 
7th.  This  conformation  made  the  Langshan  a  very  attractive 
bird  and  they  proved  good  layers  and  very  good  table  fowls. 

In  some  American  markets  the  lack  of  yellow  color  in  the 
skin  and  shanks  of  the  dressed  specimen  worked  against  its 
popularity.  The  Black  Langshans  are  required  to  have  pure 
black  color  throughout  which  is  glossy  and  brilliant,  with  a 
greenish  cast  on  the  surface.  Their  beaks,  shanks  and  toes 
are  dark  and  the  bottom  of  their  feet  a  pinkish  white. 

The  illustration  of  Paragon  7th,  before  alluded  to,  shows 
remarkable  development  of  the  bird  at  six  months  of  age.  He 
was  a  bird  combining  in  a  marked  degree  the  fancy  qualifica- 
tions for  a  stunning  show  bird  and  a  body  of  great  substance 
as  a  market  fowl — depth  of  body  and  plumpness  of  breast  were 
at  once  seen.  This  with  a  delicate  skin,  fine  bone,  and  early 
maturity,  proved  his  value  as  market  stock. 

At  the  age  of  six  months  his  promise  for  a  high  grade  show 
bird  was  marked  in  every  section:  Symmetrical,  imposing  in 
carriage,  well  filled  in  body,  round  in  breast,  broad  in  back,  with 
a  sweep  onto  the  tail,  remarkable  for  his  age;  neck  and  limbs 
of  a  proper  length;  a  tail  growing  into  a  splendid  shape,  and 
which,  with  a  little  more  age  would  be  carried  at  quite  the  prop- 


36 


POULTRY  MANUAL. 


er  angle.  A  little  fuller  growth  in  hackle  and  saddle  would  give 
the  back  a  shorter  appearance  and  deeper  concave  of  back;  the 
legs  and  feet  feathered  to  suit  the  Standard.  The  plumage  laid 
smoothly  over  all  sections,  and  was  rich  in  greenish  luster.    In 


i^^ 


Black  Langshan  Male,  Paragon  7th,  Referred  to  by  Mr.  Sewell. 


LANGSHANS.  •  37 

full  plumage  we  found  the  bird  had  reached  our  every  expecta- 
tion. 

The  continual  inbreeding  of  very  short-backed  Langshans, 
we  have  found,  tends  to  lessen  the  size,  so  a  longer  backed  fe- 
male, if  she  is  a  real  extra  large  one,  will  prove  of  value. 
However,  we  would  never  expect  to  get  fine  stylish  show  birds 
from  long,  flat-backed  males  They  tend  toward  a  production  of 
the  Java  type,  which  has  a  very  "tame"  outline  to  the  eye  of 
Langshan  exhibitors. 

Spare  the  knife  and  spoil  the  stock.  Close  selection  must 
be  resorted  to  if  improvement  is  looked  for  among  show  or  mar- 
ket stock.  Your  breeding  stock  should  not  grow  up  in  crowded 
pens,  and  the  quicker  the  roosters  are  got  rid  of,  the  better 
chance  will  the  fine  birds  have.  We  have  seen  many  fine  Lang- 
shans "purple  tinged"  and  "gray  tipped"  from  only  depleted  con- 
stitutions, when  with  freer  range  and  better  care  their  plumage 
might  have  shown  a  healthier  greenish  luster  and  black  flights. 
The  purple  barring  in  the  plumage  is  hereditary  and  so  is  a 
weak  constitution.  The  healthier  the  stock  the  less  we  see  of 
it  in  Langshans.  The  practice  of  mating  Langshans  with 
scantily  feathered  outer  toes  to  one  of  feet  covered  over  the  mid- 
dle toes  as  well,  cannot  be  too  strongly  discouraged;  it  can  never 
be  controlled  that  way.  Plenty  of  outer  toe  feathering  with 
clean  middle  toes  can  be  secured  and  controlled  if  you  see  to 
it  that  the  hens  have  heavy  outer  toe  feathering.  The  female 
side  seems  to  have  the  greater  control  over  this  point.  We  have 
noticed  that  middle  toe  feathering  generally  goes  with  coarse 
boned  and  fleshed  fowls,  features  which  Langshan  breeders  es- 
pecially guard  against. 

White  Langshans  are  the  exact  counterpart  of  the  Black  ex- 
cept that  their  plumage  is  pure  white  throughout  and  their 
beaks  a  little  lighter  in  color,  though  not  white  or  yellow 


2fl 


i^  rC   o 


THE  LEGHORN  FOWL 


The  Fowls  of  this  Breed  are  Called  the  Egg  Machines  Among 
Poultry — The  Various  Varieties  and  their  Characteristics. 


It  is  claimed  that  Leghorns  originated  in  the  countries 
bordering  on  the  Mediterranean,  most  writers  fixing  Italy  as 
the  most  probable  place.  They  were  introduced  into  this  coun- 
try shortly  after  1850,  the  importations  including  what  are  now 
Single  Comb  White  Leghorns  and  Single  Comb  Brown  Leghorns. 
It  is  claimed,  too,  that  Rose  Comb  Brown  Leghorns  were  brought 
over  about  the  same  time. 

At  that  time  ftiey  were  far  from  the  well-bred  Leghorn  of 
the  present.  In  fact,  it  may  be  said  that  the  real  Leghorn  has 
been  developed  since  that  time. 

The  Leghorns  develop  rapidly  and  on  unlimited  ranges 
forage  for  a  large  share  of  their  food.  The  precocity  of  the 
Leghorn  pullet  is  surprising  and  while  it  is  a  good  sign  in  any 
strain  of  laying  stock,  we  would  not  encourage  it  by  stimulating 
food,  but  would  feed  grains  and  other  food,  such  as  will  develop 
the  younger  stock  in  size  and  strength,  reserving  the  most  forcing 
diet  until  their  full  growth  is  attained  and  eggs  are  at  high 
prices.  Then  it  is  that  the  little  Leghorn  hens  show  their  true 
worth  and  ability  to  respond  to  liberal  feeding  by  full  nests  of 
eggs.  They  can  probably  convert  a  given  amount  of  food  into 
a  greater  yield  of  eggs  than  any  other  race  of  fowls^  That  is 
their  reputation  in  America,  and  I  believe  it  is  justly  earned. 

The  rapid  growth  of  the  Leghorn  has  led  many  rearers  of 
broilers  for  the  early  markets  to  use  a  large  per  cent  of  Leghorn 
blood  in  the  crosses  producing  the  parent  stock  for  their  early 
hatches.  Leghorn  and  Brahma  crosses  are  by  some  preferred. 
White  Leghorn  and  White  Wyandotte  crosses  mated  to  Leghorn 
and  Brahma  are  also  capital  for  early  market  chicks.  The  Leg- 
horn gives  precocity,  the  Wyandotte  plumpness  in  the  breast,  and 
the  Brahma  adds  size  and  feeding  quality.  Sturdiness  and  vigor 
of  appetite  are  essential  to  rapid  growth.  It  hurries  them  to  the 
size  and  condition  where  they  will  be  fit  for  killing. 

The  Leghorns  have  long  been  considered  among  the  highest 
classes  that  are  seen  at  our  best  shows,  and  in  form  the  whites 
often  lead  the  breed.  Of  late,  however,  we  have  seen  that  the 
fanciers  of  Brown  Leghorns  are  developing  a  fineness  of  form 


40 


POULTRY  MANUAL. 


and  character  of  style  in  their  favorites,  which  the  White  Leg- 
horn breeders  will  find  likely  competitors  for  the  cups  offered 
for  "best  style  Leghorn 
of  any  color." 

It  does  not  take  quite 
such  inbreeding  in  the 
Whites  as  in  the 
Browns  to  secure  and 
retain  the  fancied  color, 
so  it  is  not  surprising 
that  the  Whites  have 
been  the  largest  of 
American  Leghorns. 

The  importation  of  Leg- 
horns from  England  has 
of  late  brought  rivals  to 
our  American  birds  in 
point  of  size  and  plump 
breasts. 

The     Buf£    Leghorns,  -^ 
from   the  yard  of  Mrs.  ^^m 

Lister     Kay,     and     the    ^Tt!/^  xX-P^^^''-^ 

Browns  from  Mr.  Hurst, 

have  proven  to  our  peo-       i      'la  ,  /  iyA-^^^^^^rtV* 

pie  an  immediate  possi-         Head  of  an  American-Bred  Leghorn, 
bility     of     considerable 

.improvement  in  the  Leg- 
horn's size  and  value  as 
well  for  table  fowls. 
The  English  Leghorns, 
/^  while  they  have  been  long 
-  '  bred  to  fancy  points,  have 
not  been  carried  to  that 
extreme  "fineness"  which 
is  apt  too  often  to  be 
found  lacking  in  vigor 
and  fullness  of  body. 
There  is,  however,  to  be 
found  in  a  few  fanciers' 
yards  in  America,  an  ele- 
gance in  the  Leghorn 
type  that  is  truly  beauti- 
ful. 

It  may  be  interesting  to 
compare  Leghorn  types  as 
they   have   been    produced 
in    America    and    in    Eng- 
Head  of  an  English-Bred  Leghorn,      land.     There        is        char- 


Leghorns. 


41 


acter  and  style  in  each,  peculiarly  Leghorn,  yet  differing  con- 
siderably to  the  trained  fancier's  eye.  There  is  more  "smart- 
ness of  carriage"  in  the  American  type;  there  is  more  substance 
portrayed  in  the  sketch  of  the  English,  type.  The  English  judge 
allows  of  a  larger  comb  and  coarser  make-up  in  the  Leghorn, 
than  does  the  American  ex- 
pert. The  neck  of  the.  Eng- 
lish bird  carries  a  fuller 
neck-hackle  and  higher  arch, 
which  is,  in  the  original 
opinion  of  many,  an  original 
Leghorn  characteristic ;  so 
is  the  large  comb  as  it  is 
in  all  Mediterranean  races. 
The  fanciers  of  our  coun- 
try have  produced  in  the 
Leghorn  a  comb  peculiar  to 
the  American  Leghorn — a 
comb  of  clear-cut  outline 
and  fine,  firm  texture,  sur- 
mounted with  precisely 
formed       serrations.       This 

comb  is  thin  but  straight  on  the  head,  from  front  to  back;  all 
its  lines  are  graceful  and  it  extends  back  and  away  from  the 
head  and  neck,  showing  its  clean  cut  profile,  as  well  as  does 
the  spike    terminating  the  comb  of  the  English  Hamburg. 

The  neck  of  the  American  type  has  been  bred  more  slender, 
and  to  taper  finely  as  it  reaches  up  the  head,  which  has  been  se- 
lected smaller  than  in  the  Leghorns  even  now-a-days  in  English 
yards.  In  truth  the  entire  build  of  our  country's  Leghorn  has 
been  selected  to  a  type  far  more  slender  than  have  been  the 
Leghorns  across  the  water,  and  in  many  cases  it  is  noticeably 
overdone  so  much  that  the  body  is  pinched  or  cramped  of  form 
and  lacking  in  that  substance  of  body  which  the  utility  bird 
must  have. 


Rose  Comb  White   Leghorn  Hen. 


The  White  Leghorn. 

The  White  Leghorn  is  one  of  the  most  active  and  best  lay- 
ing fowls  among  all  the  races  of  domestic  poultry.  Its  require- 
ments as  laid  out  by  the  Standard  call  for  a  bird  of  beautifully 
graceful  lines.  The  well  proportioned  single  comb  standing 
erect  on  the  male  and  gracefully  lopping  on  the  female,  with  the 
pure  white  ear  lobes  and  red  face  and  wattles,  make  a  head  at 
once  attractive  and  indicative  of  vigor. 

The  attention  they  have  received  from  the  fancier  and  the 
changes  they  have  undergone  to  improve  their  qualities  as  ex- 
hibition fowls,  does  not  seem  to  have  detracted  from  their  value 


42 


POULTRY  MANUAL. 


Single   Comb  White  Leghorn 
Male, 


as  egg  producers.  They  are  to- 
day used  on  more  egg  farms,  and 
in  greater  numbers,  than  any 
other  variety  of  fowls.  They 
lay  large,  white  eggs  of  good 
quality  and  no  breed  will  make 
over  a  larger  proportion  of  the 
food  consumed  into  this  market- 
able product. 

Brown  Leghorns. 

We  do  not  find  many  fanciers 

of  the  Brown  Leghorn  of  today 

writing  that  their  favorite  strain 

of    birds,    when   they    first   kept 

them,    would    "hatch    all    colors, 

brown,     black,     dominique     and 

white,"  yet  this  is  just  what  W. 

E.   Bonney,   one   of  the  earliest 

keepers  of  the  variety,  claimed. 

This   was   written   in    1874,    and 

Mr.  Bonney  had  bred  them  since 

L860 — others  who  remembered  them  since  1855  and  1856  spoke 

of  their  red  ear  lobes,  and  wrote  that  some  of  the   cocks  had 

grey  necks  and  that  their  legs  were  white,  dark  and  yellow. 

The  American  Brown  Leghorn 
males  are  far  in  advance  of  those 
of  other  countries  in  point  of 
precision  and  richness  of  color. 
In  the  best  specimens  we  see  at 
our  leading  exhibitions  the  black 
striping  of  the  neck  and  saddle 
hackle  accurately  defined,  and 
in  some  cases  the  red  edging  is 
of  a  fiery  brilliancy  that  is  ex- 
ceedingly attractive,  as  with 
every  turn  of  the  bird  the  in- 
tensity and  strength  of  color 
shows  in  the  greenish  black 
striping  which  extends  down- 
ward to  a  point  through  the  cen- 
ter of  the  feather.  The  breast 
is  no  longer  "splashed  with 
brown"  but  of  spotless  glossy 
black    as    also    is    the    tail,    the  comb  White  Leghorn  Male, 

thighs    and    fluff    and    the    bars 

which     cross     the     red     shouldered     and     bay     tipped     wings; 
the    cordy    legs    are    of    waxen    yellow,    and    above    all   this 


LEGHORNS. 


43 


Single   Comb  Brown  Leghorn  Male  and  Female, 

splendid  body  is  carried  a  finely  chiseled  head,  with  flashing  red 
eyes  and  ear  lobes  in  texture  and  color  like  the  newest  white 
kid.  Drooping  from  the  throat  at  the  juncture  of  the  beak  are 
the  pendent  wattles,  and  surmounting  all,  the  crowning  attrac- 
tion of  the  race,  the  coral-like  comb  with  its  long,  finely  tapered 
serrations.  These  genteel  birds  are  the  leaders  for  harems 
where  beauty  and  industry  go  equally  coupled,  for  the  hard- 
working little  Leghorn  hen,  though  not  so  gayly  dressed  as  her 
proud  mate,  has  an  elegance  of  attire  quite  her  own. 

The  under  color  of  Brown  Leghorns  has  been  carefully 
watched  for  some  years  past,  the  dark,  slaty  black  being  pre- 
served and  the  "cottony"  white  or  light  gray  being  rejected,  as 
this  is  followed  by  so  much  white  in  tail  and  fiight  feathers  as 
to  be  regarded  as  a  severe  fault.  The  comb  of  Leghorns  is  se- 
lected with  great  care  to  avoid  any  wrinkles  or  twists  in  front, 
and  it  is  quite  important  that  the  female's  comb  is  thick  and 
firm  at  the  base,  else  that  of  the  male  hatched  from  her  eggs 
will  be  apt  to  fall  or  be  too  loose,  not  perfectly  straight  and 
erect  in  its  serrations  It  is  not,  however,  as  some  have  prac- 
ticed, necessary  to  keep  straight  combed  hens  to  preserve  the 
straight  combs  in  the  cock;  the  main  importance  is  to  see  to  it 
that  the  base  is  firm  of  texture  and  even  on  the  head.       Then 


44  POULTRY  MANUAL. 

males  can  be  expected  with  perfectly  erect  combs.  The  de- 
sired number  of  points  or  serrations  on  the  male's  comb  has 
been  a  cause  of  much  disputing,  but  as  long  as  the  comb  is  true 
and  symmetrical,  even  though  it  may  have  seven  points,  we 
would  not  throw  it  aside  if  found  on  an  otherwise  exceptionally 
fine  specimen.  An  extra  serration  evenly  and  symmetrically 
set  on,  is  far  preferable  to  even  a  very  small  side  sprig  or  a 
wrinkle  or  "thumb  mark."  A  perfectly  chalk-white  ear  lobe  is 
easy  to  find  on  a  bird  of  weak  vigor  and  constitution,  but  on  a 
strong,  hearty  male  with  richly  colored  skin  and  plumage  it  i& 
a  rare  quality  for  the  show  pen. 

Large  wide  sickles  that  droop  and  are  nicely  curved,  are 
also  a  great  addition  to  attractiveness;  greenish  gloss  in  the 
breast,  tail  and  wing  bars  is  seldom  appreciated;  it  is  rare  and 
a  sign  of  good  health  as  well. 

The  Buff  Leghorn. 

The  Buff  variety  of  the  Leghorn  family  was  brought  out  in 
England,  Mrs.  Lister  Kay  being  one  of  the  most  prominent  breed- 
ers of  that  variety.  Among  the  first  to  bring  them  to  this  coun- 
try was  Aug.  D.  Arnold  of  Pennsylvania,  who  imported  a  large 
number  of  them  at  what  were  then  considered  fabulous  prices. 
They  are  in  every  respect  so  far  as  Standard  requirements  go, 
identical  with  the  other  varieties  of  Leghorns  and  the  three 
varieties,  White,  Brown  and  Buff^  are  also  produced  with  the 
Rose  Comb. 

Black  Leghorns  are  very  handsome  birds  but  difficult  to 
breed  according  to  Standard  requirements  on  account  of  the 
demand  of  the  Standard  that  the  shanks  and  feet  be  yellow  or 
yellowish  black.  Such  color  in  these  sections  is  extremely  hard 
to  get  and  at  the  same  time  secure  a  good  black  plumage. 

Preparing  Leghorns  for  Exhibition. 

In  fitting  Leghorns  for  exhibition,  it  must  be  remembered 
that  they  are  of  nervous  disposition  and  frighten  easily.  They 
must  be  ar'customed  to  their  pens,  which  should  be  as  near  as 
possible  like  those  in  which  they  will  be  shown.  At  first  place 
a  cloth  over  the  top  until,  on  being  approached,  the  bird  will  not 
fly  to  the  top  of  its  cage.  At  the  front  a  cloth  should  be 
placed  to  the  height  of  22  inches  for  a  male,  or  about  20  inches 
for  a  female  (coop  all  separately  and  exhibit  them  so).  TTiis 
cloth  will  give  them  only  a  chance  to  see  out  when  standing 
well  up.  Feed  them  from  the  hand  as  often  as  time  will  allow, 
with  such  tidbits  as  they  are  very  fond  of,  and  make  them 
"stretch  up"  for  it.  We  are  not  fond  of  seeing  a  "stilty"  limbed 
Leghorn,  though  one  that  carries  a  well  proportioned  body  of 
the  true  type,  at  a  vigorous  pose,  as  if  on  the  alert,  we  do  fancy 
extremely 


BLACK  AND  WHITE  MINORCAS 


The  Largest  of  the  Mediterranean  Varieties — Their  Origin 
and  General  QuaHfications  and  Characteristics. 

To  trace  the  history  of  the  Minorcas  in  England,  where  our 
American  fanciers  first  obtained  them,  would  indeed  be  a  long 
and  difficult  study.  They  are  a  very  old  race  in  England,  which 
came  from  the  Mediterranean  side  of  Spain,  and  are  the  original 
parent  stock  of  the  well  known  White  Paced  Black  Spanish. 

The  ]Minorcas  were  long  known  in  parts  of  England  a-s  Red 
Faced  Black  Spanish,  and  as  egg  producers,  have  long  held  first 
place. 

A  good  many  years  ago  when  asking  an  Englishman  who 
was  traveling  in  our  country  among  the  cattle  breeders  of 
Illinois,  what  race  of  fowls  he  considered  the  best  layers  in  his 
country,  he  told  me  this  breed  of  ]\Iinorcas  was  considered  the 
best  in  his  part  of  England.  This  was  the  first  time  I  had  heard 
of  the  Minorcas.  A  few  years  afterwards  two  pairs  of  them 
were  shown  a i.  the  Fat  Stock  Show  in  Chicago.  I  think  this  was 
in  1886.  R.  W.  Sargent,  the  Captain  of  the  Ohio  of  the  Inman 
Line,  and  others,  had  been  bringing  them  over  and  placing 
them  in  the  yards  of  Eastern  breeders  who  were  delighted  with 
the  large  white  eggs  which  they  laid  for  them,  and  with  their 
early  maturity  and  size.  They  were  larger  than  other  races  of 
the  Mediterraneans  which  we  had  in  this  country,  excepting  the 
White  Faced  Black  Spanish  which  were  about  equal  in  weight. 
Great  stories  were  told  and  written  of  the  size  and  quantity  of 
eggs  which  these  handsome  black  birds  produced,  and  the  boom 
commenced  for  Minorcas  until  they  were  pretty  well  spread 
throughout  American  yards.  Now  the  Mmorca  has  settled  into 
the  hands  of  only  fanciers  who  really  want  them  for  what  they 
are  worth,  and  are  being  improved  and  giving  splendid  satis- 
faction as  egg  producers. 

The  American  breeders  of  IMinorcas  are  doing  their  best  to 
select  to  a  type  that  is  truly  practical  in  every  sense,  a  style  that 
carries  at  once  utility  with  beauty,  a  fashion  that  farmer  and 
fancier  can  both  safely  adopt  with  every  reason  to  expect  the 
results  will  prove  profitable  in  the  highest  degree.  While  the 
Minorca  is  to  a  certain  extent  more  sober  in  carriage  than  the 
sprightly  Leghorn,  he  still  maintains  an  alertness  and  vigor  that 
is   rossessed  by  all  the  Mediterranean  types.     Their  early  ma- 


46  POULTRY  MANUAL. 

turity  is  remarkable.  For  the  first  six  to  eight  weeks  they  grow 
with  a  rapidity  that  puts  to  shame  the  breeds  which  in  as  many 
months  outweigh  them  by  some  pounds. 

There  are  few  breeds  popular  in  the  show  rooms,  of  England 
or  America,  that  have  not  undergone  tampering  with  by  hasty 
experimenters  who  have  in  their  hurry  to  please  certain  judges 
crossed  the  pure  race  with  other  breeds  to  change  or  modify  its 
type.  The  Minorca  has  not  been  an  exception  to  this,  but  has 
suffered  in  its  turn  by  those  who  have  wished  to  lengthen  its 
legs  or  tighten  the  feather  or  make  smaller  the  comb  by  using 
stock  crossed  with  the  Leghorn  and  Game.  This  may  result  in 
a  few  specimens  pleasing  to  a  few,  but  is  sure  to  give  the  mon- 
grelized  stock  an  uncertainty  of  breeding  which  proves  puzzling 
and  diifcouraging  to  many  amateurs  into  whose  hands  it  may  fall. 
The  true  Minorca  requires  no  crossing  of  foreign  breeds  to  keep 
it  valuable.  The  true,  pure  Minorca  is  the  best  Minorca,  and 
should  be  selected  by  fanciers  as  well  as  egg  farmers  for  its 
intrinsic  value  and  elegance  of  form  and  carriage. 

True  Minorca  Shape. 

The  true  type  is  a  long,  squarely  made  body,  rather  angular- 
ly put  together  about  the  legs  and  tail,  although  more  rounded 
about  the  front  of  the  body  and  neck.  Most  fanciers  desire  the 
comb  as  large  as  can  be  kept  firm  and  regular  in  the  male.  In 
the  female  the  size  of  comb  is  in  proportion  to  her  sex,  turning 
over  without  wrinkles  about  the  front  and  the  number  of  serra- 
tions equal  to  those  of  the  male.  The  comb  should  extend  on 
the  front  of  che  beak  enough  to  apparently  balance  well  and 
look  in  harmony  with  the  elongated  rear,  but  not  to  that  extent 
which  night  be  illshapen  or  be  in  the  way  when  the  bird  eats 
from  thd  ground.  The  ear  lobes  should  be  large,  smooth  and 
free  from  fold«,  and  pure  white,  not  yellowish  or  in  any  part 
tinged  with  red.  The  wattles  are  too  often  wrinkled  at  the 
joining  of  the  beak;  wattles  which  fall  smoothly  give  a  rare 
touch  of  elegance  to  a  bird  for  showing.  The  carriage  of  the 
head  and  neck  has  much  to  do  with  the  appearance  of  the  wat- 
tles. It  must  of  necessity  be  well  up  or  the  wattles  hang  in 
folds  upon  the  breast  in  poor  character.  If  any  claim  to  market 
quality  is  to  be  sustained  by  the  Minorca,  the  depth  and  full- 
ness of  breast  must  be  maintained  and  improved.  In  fact  the 
birds  are  stronger  and  better  in  vigor  with  good  substantially 
formed  breasts. 

The  Minorca  is  a  long,  flat-backed  bird  with  the  back  com- 
ing at  an  angle  against  the  tail,  and  underneath  at  the  rear  ap- 
pearing long  and  square,  not  so  tightly  tucked  up  as  some 
breeds  appear  which  are  fairly  good  layers.  The  tail  of  the 
Minorca  is  set  on  well  back,  and  carried  only  moderately  up; 
some  prefer  about  forty-five  degrees.  It  should  not  be  so  large 
for  the  bird,  nor  so  much  spread  as  in  the  Leghorn. 


MINORCAS. 


i1 


i    .t   ,/ 


^B 

ji^^^^  f ;»«i^ss*S2aiiMESaii«ffiiBi 

»ri 

Ik  1 

'  m 

inr^'^'iilnMll 

1' 

'— 

^^HHBHp^                    '^^ 

!            ^   ^    -  -  ^ 

^^^^^t£  -. 

1                    __                   -«" 

/  "                               ^-  ^   - 

[ 

Standard-Bred   Single   Comb  Black  Minorcas. 

The  legs  should  appear  to  be  set  on  at  about  the  middle  of 
the  bird,  and  should  stand  wide  and  squarely  with  toes  well 
spread  apart.  The  legs  and  toes  should  be  leaden  black  in  young 
birds,  and  bluish  black  in  adult  birds,  and  should  be  sinewy  and 
strong,  and  the  hocks  rather  bare,  not  much  covered  with  the 
plumage  of  the  thighs.  The  skin  is  pinkish  white,  no  tinge  of 
yellow  showing  in  any  part  of  the  body. 

White  Minorcas  are  essentially  the  same  as  the  Blacks  ex- 
cept in  color,  though  the  Standard  calls  for  one  pound  less 
weight  throughout.  Both  varieties  of  Minorcas  are  produced 
with  rose  combs. 


WHITE  FACED  BLACK  SPANISH 


A  Breed  Having  Many  Remarkable  Characteristics  and  that 
Was  at  one  Time  Very  Popular. 


The  Spanish  is  distinctively  a  Mediterranean  race  of  fowl. 
The  English  fanciers  believe  that  they  were  brought  into  their 
country  during  the  middle  ages  by  the  Spaniards,  although  this 
type  of  fowl,  in  form  like  Black  Minorcas,  Andalusians,  Anconas, 
and  others  closely  resembling  them — have  been  found  all  along 
the  southern  coast  of  Spain,  France  and  Italy,  and  even  in  some 
of  the  northern  countries  of  Africa.  These  and  the  well  known 
Leghorn  families,  there  can  scarcely  be  a  doubt,  all  sprang  from 
a  common  origin.  Long  before  the  poultry  shows,  as  we  know 
them,  had  become  a  feature,  the  Spanish  were  very  popular 
fowls  in  and  about  London  and  were  exhibited  by  societies  for 
their  promotion. 

There  are  very  few  birds  which  can  compare  favorably  with 
the  White  Faced  Black  Spanish  in  style  of  carriage  or  aristo- 
cratic appearance.  Their  elegance  is  of  that  rare  kind,  only  se- 
cured by  the  most  select  fowls,  artfully  bred  and  reared.  It  is 
true  that  the  highest  type  of  White  Faced  Black  Spanish  are  apt  to 
lose  in  points  of  vigor  and  productiveness  from  the  fact  that 
their  fancy  qualifications  are  of  a  nature  requiring  constant  re- 
course to  a  system  of  in-and-in  breeding.  The  instant  any  un- 
related strain  (even  though  it  be  quite  equal  to  the  stock  to 
which  it  is  brought)  be  used  in  breeding  these  extreme  and  art- 
ful attainments  are  to  an  extent  lost  and  the  breeder  is  com- 
pelled, if  he  would  keep  up  the  fancy  development  to  return  to 
very  close  matings  again. 

The  illustration  is  of  the  extremely  bred,  large  faced  type, 
the  male  possessing  the  largest  face  we  found  at  the  English 
shows.     He  was  the  second  prize  cockerel  at  the  Crystal  Palace. 

Birds  with  faces  so  large  as  this  bird  has,  as  they  develop 
and  grow  old,  often  require  a  deal  of  care  and  attention  to  pre- 
vent the  white  crowding  the  eyes.  At  times  they  are  cut  to 
lessen  the  overhanging,  fleshy  formation;  in  other  cases  tied  up 
by  threads  over  the  head  at  the  back  of  the  comb.  The  white 
of  the  face  is  injured  in  its  purity  by  the  wind  and  sun.  The 
face  needs  often  to  be  washed,  sponged  and  powdered  (with 
oxide  of  zinc) ;  in  fact  the  toilet  of  one  of  these  long  pedigreed 
aristocrats  is  something  only  the  most  ardent  of  amateurs  would 


SPANISH. 


49 


L 


White  Faced  Black  Spanish  of  the  Extreme  Large  Face  Type. 


attempt  to  undertake  after  he  has  once  seen  all  that  it  requires, 
even  to  the  plucking  of  the  many  small  hair-like  feathers  which 
persist  in  growing  from  his  wonderful  white  kid-like  face.  But 
there  are  not  a  few  fanciers  who  possess  the  patience  to  train 
and  prepare  even  such  a  fastidious  specimen  as  the  white-faced 
Black  Spanish. 

The  style  of  the  show  Spanish  is  far  more  lofty  and  gamey 
of  carriage  than  that  of  the  Minorca,  which  we  are  accustomed 
to  see  at  the  present  day.  They  are  tighter  feathered  and  more 
muscular  appearing.  The  combs  are  hardly  so  large,  although 
the  difference  in  this,  if  any,  is  slight.  The  plumage  of  the 
Spanish  is  a  brilliant  black,  very  metallic  on  the  upper  parts, 
though  not  so  green  as  in  the  Black  Hamburgs  or  Langshans. 
The  beak  is  dark  horn  color,  and  the  legs  bluish  black,  fading 


^6  POULTRY  MANUAL. 

to  light  bluish  slate  as  the  birds  grow  old.  The  skin  bluish  pink 
to  white.  The  Spanish  fowl  are  not  considered  a  desirable  fowl 
for  the  table;  only  for  their  beauty  and  the  production  of  their 
large  white  eggs  are  they  so  much  esteemed,  but  this  is  enough 
to  those  who  have  seen  them  and  the  eggs  they  so  generously 
supply. 


Blue  Andalusians  and  Anconas. 

In  the  same  class  with  Leghorns,  Minorcas  and  Spanish  be- 
long Blue  Andalusians  and  Anconas.  The  Andalusian  derives 
its  name  from  Andalusia,  a  province  in  the  southern  part  of 
Spain.  It  is  a  graceful  bird,  somewhat  on  the  Leghorn  order 
of  build  but  is  larger  than  a  Leghorn,  though  smaller  than  the 
Minorca.  Its  color  of  head  points  is  the  same  as  that  of  the 
Minorca  but  its  plumage  is  a  slaty  blue  and  bluish  black  through- 
out, with  shanks  of  the  same  shade.  Except  the  Minorcas  and 
Spanish,  it  is  the  only  IMediterranean  breed  supplied  with  a 
weight  clause  in  the  Standard. 

Anconas  are  required  to  have  the  same  shape  as  Leghorns 
and  are  about  the  same  size,  as  a  rule,  as  that  breed  though 
occasionally  larger  ones  are  found.  Its  plumage  should  be  a 
greenish  black  with  each  feather  tipped  with  white,  the  effect 
being  one  of  even  mottling  all  over  the  specimen. 


THE  DORKING  FOWL 

One  of  the  Oldest  of  the  Present  Races  of  Domestic  Fowls 
and  Prized  by  the  English  for  Its  Remark- 
able Table  Qualities. 


It  is  not  the  history  which  the  Dorkiugs  possess  that  to-day 
makes  them  of  value  to  American  and  English  fanciers.  Yet 
it  will  be  interesting  to  know  in  what  estimation  they  were  held 
by  old  writers. 

Mr.  Harrison  Weir,  England,  said:  "Take  our  old  English 
farm  fowl  the  Romans  brought  into  England  nearly  2,000  years 
ago;  judging  from  the  bones  found,  they  are  the  same  kind  of 
birds  today  as  then.  For  centuries  and  centuries  they  have  been 
most  carefully  selected,  and  bred  to  a  type.  Take  drawings  as 
far  back  as  you  can  get  them,  and  there  stands  the  king  of 
fowls,  bright,  strong,  full  of  life  and  grace,  fearless  and  bold — 
as  he  stands  today — a  bird  of  birds,  a  fowl  without  a  peer.  Look 
around  at  all  the  new  mongrels  that  people  call  advance  and 
see  if  there  is  one  that  can  compare  with  his  faultless  form,  his 
high  lineage  and  pride  of  going." 

That  the  Dorkings  were  brought  to  England  during  the  in- 
vasion by  the  Romans,  ail  writers  seem  to  perfectly  agree,  and 
that  next  to  the  Game  fowl  the  Dorking  is  probably  the  oldest 
of  the  pure-bred  varieties. 

The  varying  styles  and  changing  fancies  for  feather  breeding 
have  injured  the  purity  of  the  Whites  less  than  the  Colored  and 
Silver  Gray  varieties,  which  are  shown  in  many  types  not  to 
the  credit  of  the  true  old  race  of  Gray  Dorkings.  The  only  strife 
in  points  of  color  to  obtain  in  the  Whites  is  a  "chalk  white" 
plumage,  free  from  the  objectionable  yellowish  tinge,  and  the 
white  legs,  which  are  desired,  showing  as  little  color  of  any 
kind  as  possible.  With  the  exception  of  White  Game  blood  in- 
troduced into  some  families  of  Whites,  we  learn  of  no  con- 
tamination of  their  purity  since  the  Romans  first  brought  them 
to  British  soil.  This  cross  occasionally  crops  out  in  a  single 
comb,  the  absence  of  the  fifth  claw,  or  the  yellowish  tinge  in 
the  skin  or  feet.  All  these  faults  should  be  carefully  avoided, 
and  birds  showing  them  culled  out — by  those  who  pride  them- 
selves in  the  pure  old  race. 

The  Silver  Gray  Variety. 
The  Silver  Grays  have  been  the  most  popular  in  this  coun- 


52 


POULTRY   MANUAL. 


try.  It  is  the  truest  of  tlie  dark  varieties,  and  receives  its  name 
from  the  finely  mixed  steel-gray  coloring  of  the  female.  We  have 
selected  to  illustrate  this  variety  a  portrait  sketched  at  the 
Counties  Royal  Agricultural  Society's  Show  at  Redhill,  Eng.,  in 
1892.     The  hen   won   first   and   special.     She   was   a  deep,   full- 

hodied  hen,  of  good  sub- 
stance, large  and  heavily 
meated  where  meat  on  a 
fowl  counts. 

The  ideal  plumage  of 
the  Silver  Gray  Dorking 
female  is  a  very  difficult 
one  to  obtain  to  such  a 
nicety  as  is  produced  in 
the  best  show  specimens. 
It  is  that  evenly  broken 
color,  giving  a  steel  gray 
effect,  known  as  "pepper 
and  salt."  In  the  earlier 
Gray  Dorkings  the  plum- 
age had  more  the  appear- 
ance of  rich,  finely  mixed 
silver  brown;  their  necks 
were  silver  white,  and 
breasts  pale  salmon;  but 
for  many  years  the  selec- 
tions by  those  admiring 
the  lighter  gray,  have  been 
towards  the  very  light. 
The  cock's  plumage  of  the  Silver  Gray  possesses  a  purity 
and  beauty  of  contrast  belonging  only  to  a  race  very  nearly 
agreeing  with  natural  selection  and  of  long  years'  breeding.  Al- 
though the  silvery  whiteness  of  the  hackle  and  back  gives  way 
to  a  yellowish  tinge  if  left  to  itself,  it  takes  nice  selection  to 
keep  that  character  to  such  a  degree  as  the  present  fancy  re- 
quires. The  standards  of  to-day  demand  that  all  the  section  of 
surface  white — the  neck,  back,  wing  bows  and  coverts  shall  be 
of  the  purest  silvery  white;  the  remainder  the  soundest  of  glossy 
black,  excepting  the  narrow  edge  of  the  flight  feathers  (which 
are  white) ;  sound,  glossy,  greenish  black  breast,  tail  and  wing 
bar,  with  the  wing  bow  and  coverts  pure  white;  over  these  droop 
the  silvery  saddle  and  cape-like  hackle.  Then  to  this  add  thighs 
and  fluff  unspotted  and  you  have  a  dress  fitting  to  the  faultless 
form  of  the  old  fowl  of  the  aristocracy  of  England.  Such  a 
plumage  is  rare  yet  showy  in  the  extreme,  when  obtained.  Very 
few  combine  the  two  extremes  in  color.  The  common  condi- 
tions are,  either  the  hackle  is  tinged  with  straw  color  if  the 
breast  is  lustrous  or  the  breast  is  lacking  in  brilliancy  where 
the  hackle  is  seen  pure.     Shade  will  protect  many  and  preserve 


Silver 


Gray     Dorking- 
Back  Feather. 


Female 


DORKINGS. 


53 


Silver  Gray  Dorking-  Female,  Bred  and  Exhibited  in  England. 


tlieir  whiteness,  but  it  is  the  male  whose  plumage  proves  proof 
against  the  sun's  influence  that  you  most  value,  and  whose  stock 
can  always  be  most  depended  upon  to  keep  the  desirable  color  for 
the  exhibitions. 

The  rose  comb  of  the  White  Dorking  has  a  character  of  its 
own  — it  is  neither  the  finely  cut  comb  of  the  Hamburg,  the  close 
fitting  rocker  topped  comb  of  the  American  Wyandotte,  nor  the 
unwieldy  overgrown  rose  comb  of  the  Red  Cap,  but  a  substantia] - 
looking,  well-set- on,  medium-sized  comb,  not  quite  straighf  over 
the  top  from  stem  to  stern,  well  above  the  eyes,  calculated  to 
give  a  bird  a  noble  appearance.  The  wattles  are  well  propor- 
tioned,  and   so   are  the  lobes   which  are  red,   iust  tinged   with 


54 


POULTRY   MANUAL. 


white.  This  feature  is  looked  upon  as  a  point  indicative  of 
true  blood.  The  solid  red  ear  lobe  in  the  Dorking,  coming 
from  outside  influence,  is  not  at  all  to  be  desired;  many  we  know 
have  ignorantly  judged  against  this  white  tinge  in  the  ear  lobe, 
as  they  would  if  found  in  the  American  class,  but  the  oldest  and 
best  authorities  value  it  as  pointing  to  rich  blood  of  the  true 


Rose   Comb   of  the  White   Dorking   Compared   With   the    Rose 
Comb  of  the  Leghorn  and  the  Rose  Comb  of  the  Red  Cap. 


old  race.     The  whitish  lobe  of  the  Dorking  tells  of  its  early  ma- 
turity, good  laying  qualities  and  tender,  fine-grained  flesh. 

Colored  Dorkings. 

The  Dark  or  Colored  are  considerably  the  heaviest  of  the 
several  families  of  Dorking.  They  are  the  largest  class  of  Dork- 
ings ?hown  at  the  leading  English  shows. 

The  Colored  Dorkings  in  England  are  bred  very  dark,  so 
that  in  many  specimens  we  saw  there  a  beetle  greenish  gloss 
was  noticeable  on  the  back  and  wings  of  the  females.  This  is 
very  rarely  seen  in  this  country,  except  in  lately  imported  speci- 
mens. The  coloring  of  the  back  and  wings  of  the  female  Color 
ed  Dorking  is  a  rich  ti'own,  finely  intermixed  with  black,  a  light 
tawny  buff  shaft,  and  shaamg  to  very  dark  at  the  tip  and  sides, 


DORKINGS. 


55 


forming  a  laced  aprearance  on  the  lighter  specimens.  The 
breasts  of  the  hens  are  dull  salmon,  shading  darker  at  the  sides, 
near  the  wings,  as  though  the  coloring  of  the  wings  overran  into 
the  shades  of  the  breast;  all  grows  darker  towards  the  tail,  which 


A  Famous  English  Silver  Gray  Dorking  Male. 

is  brownish  black.  Altogether  it  is  a  rich,  pleasing,*substantial 
color  with  a  good,  common  sense  look  about  it,  and  calculated  to 
stay. 


56 


POULTRY  MANUAL. 


The  very  darkest  shades  are  said  to  have  been  brought  about 
by  an  oriental  cross  in  about  1858.  Some  think  the  old  Sussex 
fowl  had  something  to  do  in  bringing  the  rich,  dark  brown  shades 
into  the  plumage.  The  oriental  cross  is  said  to  have  added 
weight,  and  for  a  long  time  in  England  preference  was  given  at 
the  shows  for  the  coarse  birds.     This  has,  however,  long  since 


A  Faulty  Dorking   Foot    (on   the   Left)    and   a   Perfect   Dork- 
ing   Foot. 


been  counted  a  sad  mistake,  and  the  Dorking  is  now  bred  for 
the  fine  bone  and  delicate  flesh  of  the  old  race.  The,  cross 
brought  another  serious  blemish— the  dusky  coloring  to  the  feet, 
which  is  carefully  discriminated  against  by  the  best  breeders  and 
judges.  All  now  well  know  that  the  color  of  feet  and  legs  and 
fineness  of  bone  are  good  indexes  to  the  quality  of  skin  and 
delicacy  of  flesh,  and  as  the  greatest  claims  for  the  Dorkings' 
economic  value  are  their  table  qualities,  these  are  points  worthy 
of  consideration. 

It  may  be  well  to  notice  the  peculiar  formation  of  the  Dork- 
ings' foot.  They  have  been  known  for  centuries  as  a  five-toe 
race.  The  feet  should  stand  squarely  upon  the  ground  and 
well  apart;  the  fourth  and  fifth  toes  well  separated,  the  fourth, 
or  back  toe  resting  well  upon  the  ground  and  the  fifth  curving 
upward   and   away   from   it. 

The  accompanying  illustration  of  what  has  been  considered 
one  of  England's  best  Colored  Dorking  cocks,  of  recent  produc- 
tion, can  tell  more  than  a  lengthy  description  of  the  breed. 
American  fanciers  may  think  it  strange  to  see  white  in  a  black 
tail;  however,  in  England  many  fanciers  consider  it  a  feature  of 
additional  "smartness"  of  color;   in  the  flights  also  a  couple  of 


DORKINGS. 


57 


white  feathers  are  not  a  blemish,  but  if  gray  or  white  should  be 
indiscriminately  placed  in  the  wing  flights,  it  would  be  counted 
as  a  weakness  of  color,  and  faulty. 

The  neck  and  saddle  hackle  of  the  Colored  Dorking  cock  is 


The   Perfect    Dorking   Body   With   Dotted   Lines    Showing   Its 
Near  Approach  to  a   Parallelogram  in  Shape. 


Striped  with  considerable  precision  and  strength,  and  on  the 
wing  shoulders  white  and  black  are  mixed,  the  white  prevail- 
ing. The  neck  tapers  up  gracefully  to  a  well  formed  head  of 
moderate  size.  The  face  is  quite  clean  of  feathers;  the  eye  clear 
and  bright. 

The  Dorking's  comb,  in  this  country,  has  been  much  modi- 


58 


POULTRY  MANUAL. 


fled  by  a  mistaken  standard.  In  England  both  comb  and  wat- 
tles are  desired  of  a  size  considered  of  fair  size  for  a  Leghorn 
(in  this  country),  extending  back  but  not  at  all  down  towards 
the  neck,  which  is  looked  upon  as  a  very  coarse  point. 

The  wings  are  strong  and  good  sized,  set  on  in  a  fashion  to 
add  roundness  to  the  body.  To  extend  the  apparent  length  of 
the  bird,  the  tail  should  be  carried  well  back,  not  higher  than 
forty-five  degrees,  and  furnished  with  full,  wide  sickles  and 
hangers. 

The  form  of  the  body  has  been  pictured  with  the  diagram  of 
an  oblong  figure  ever  it.  This  expresses  well  the  ideal  Dorking 
f  OT  m. 


Well-Bred   Bed   Caps   of   English  Production. 


RED  CAPS 

A  Breed  of  English  Production  Known  for  Years  in  that  Coun- 
try as  Unrivalled  Layers. 


The  Red  Caps  are  a  hardy  race  of  fowls  which  came  to  Amer- 
ican breeders  from  Derbyshire,  England,  where  they  have  been 
known  for  many  years  as  unrivalled  layers  of  richly  flavored 
eggs.  The  true  vaiae  of  these  fowls,  as  egg  producers,  is  very 
little  known  in  this  country.  A  few  years  ago  we  used  to  see 
them  at  eastern  shows  and  they  bid  fair  to  become  well  known 
and  appreciated,  but  of  late  they  have  been  exhibited  but  little. 

Fowls  with  the  disposition  of  the  Red  Caps  should  have  free 
range  to  give  the  best  results,  and  where  this  can  be  given  them 
they  will  undoubtedly  compare  favorably  with  the  two  famous 
egg  producing  breeds,  the  Leghorns  and  Minorcas. 

It  may  be  interesting  to  note  the  fact  that  so  many  of  our 
best  egg  producing  breeds  of  poultry  are  possessed  of  large 
combs,  of  one  form  or  another,  and  that  the  old  prevailing  theory 
is  that  a  large  comb  points  to  great  egg  producing  powers.  This 
idea  has  not  grown  from  mere  speculation,  but  from  observation 
by  those  who  have  kept  poultry  for  profit.  But  the  great  ma- 
jority 'of  American  fanciers  follow  the  prejudice  in  favor  of 
small  combs  and  nearly  every  breed  that  has  been  imported,  has 
undergone  the  process  of  selection  for  combs,  sometimes  non- 
typical  of  the  race. 

The  Red  Caps  have  been  roughly  described  by  some  Ham- 
burg fanciers  as  coarse  Golden  Spangled  Hamburgs,  and  truly 
in  plumage  they  do  resemble  a  carelessly  bred  Hamburg,. having 
the  old  time,  moon-shaped  spangles  on  a  dark  reddish  bay  ground 
color.  The  indications  might  lead  us  to  believe  that  both  the 
Red  Caps  and  the  Golden  Spangled  Hamburgs  trace  to  the  same 
ancestry.  There  was  a  time  when  the  Hamburgs  were  known 
as  Lancashire  Mooneys,  a  name  suggesting  the  moon  shaped 
spangle  of  the  Red  Cap  female.  There  is  a  wider  difference  in 
the  color  of  the  male  and  female  of  the  Red  Cap  than  in  the 
Hamburg,  the  breast  of  the  male  of  the  former  being  often  solid 
black,  and  the  tail  also  is  unbroken  in  its  glossy  black  color, 
while  the  surface  color  of  the  Hamburg  has  been  bred  into  a 
large  spangle  at  the  end  of  the  feathers  in  both  sexes.  The  ear 
lobes  of  the  two  races,  as  they  are  now,  are  entirely  different, 
the  Red  Cap  with  pendulous  red  lobes,  the  Hamburg  with  large 
flat  lobes  of  spotless  white. 


THE  ORPINGTONS 

An  English  Breed  Comparatively  New  in  that  Country  Which 
Has  Rapidly  Become  Popular  in  America. 

The  late  William  Cook  is  credited  with  being  the  originator 


Single   Comb    White    Orpington   Male. 


ORPINGTONS. 


61 


Sing-le   Comb   Buff   Orpington  Male. 


of  the  Orpington  breed,  though  some  English  authorities  claim 
that  he  did  not  make  up  the  original  variety,  the  Buff  Orping- 
tons, but  simply  took  it  up,  brought  it  out  and  made  it  popular. 
In  any  event  he  was  very  closely  identified  with  the  breed  from 
the  beginning  and  made  up  and  brought  out  the  newer  varieties, 
including  the  Whites  and  Blacks  and  the  Rose  Combs  of  all 
varieties.  Orpingtons  began  to  be  bred  in  America  shortly 
after  1900. 

Orpingtons    are    comparatively    large    fowls,    exceeding    the 


62 


POULTRY  MANUAL. 


Plymouth  Rocks  in  Standard  weight  and  are  more  compact  in 
build.  In  manner  of  feathering  they  approach  somewhat  the 
Cochin  type.  Their  compact  build  enables  them  to  carry  a 
great  amount  of  flesh  and  they  are  claimed  to  be  good  layers. 
Their  skin  and  shanks  are  white  with  sometimes  a  shading  of 
pink  and  this  fact  alone  is  somewhat  detrimental  to  them  in 
the  more  extreme  of  American  m.arkets  where  yellow  skin  is 
demanded. 

The  principal  varieties  are  the  Single  and  Rose  Comb  Buffs, 
Single  and  Rose  Comb  Whites  and  Single  Comb  Blacks,  though 
a  variety  termed  Jubilee,  with  a  plumage  of  brown,  black  and 
white,  intermingled,  is  gaining  some  ground. 


THE  POLISH  RACE 


The  Handsomest  of  the  Ornamental  Classes  of  Fancy  Poultry 
— The  Principal  Varieties. 


Among  the  most  persistent  layers  and  the  most  ornamental 
of  fowls,  can  be  counted  the  Polish — a  very  old  race — to  which 
the  Dutch  have  probably  paid  most  attention. 

The  White  Crested  Black  is  said  to  have  been  originated  by 
the  Hollanders,  and  for  a  long  time  a  strain  of  Black  Crested 
White  fowls  was  carefully  preserved  by  a  number  of  Dutch  fan- 
ciers, but  the  expense  and  the  difficulties  of  retaining  such  a 


^7^/^-^. 


Drawing    Showing-    the    Method    of    Tying-   up    the    Crest    of  a 
Polish  Male  to  Protect  it  When  Shipping  to  Shows. 


POLISH. 


63 


contrary  plumage  proved  too  discouraging  to  keep  it  up.  We 
have  of  late  heard  no  more  of  effort  to  breed  it,  to  this  combina- 
tion of  color. 

The  White  Crested  Black,  although  lacking  in  the  beard  and 
muffs  of  the  true  Polish,  is  unusually  striking,  with  such  a  con- 
trast as  the  white  crest  and  jet  black  body  presents.     It  has 


mm. 


A  Typical   Silver  Laced   Polish   Male. 


64 


POULTRY  MANUAL. 


Some  Excellent  Polish  Heads  and  Crests. 

been  a  favorite  in  America  for  many  years,  and  is  likely  to  be 
valued  higher  as  it  becomes  better  known  and  understood. 

The  plumage  of  the  White  Crested  Black  is  more  delicate 
in  texture  than  that  of  the  bearded  races,  and  the  crest  falls 
closer  to  the  neck,  giving  it  shape  of  crest  peculiarly  its  own. 
It  is  fuller  in  the  top  and  drops  straighter  at  the  sides  than 
in  the  race  of  laced  or  white. 

The  Buff  Laced,  White,  Silver  and  Golden  are  larger,  and 
coarser  in  body  and  plumage,  than  is  the  White  Crested  Black. 
The  pure  White  Polish  is  a  truly  fine  looking  fowl  in  the  show 
pen,  although  its  beauty  is  not  seen  at  its  best  until  out  on  the 
green  lawn.    Then  the  bird  shows  off  exquisitely. 


POLISH.  65 

The  Buff  laced,  with  many  fanciers,  divides  honors  in  rich- 
ness of  plumage  with  the  Golden — one  is  of  soft  buff  with  white 
lacing,  the  other  of  fiery  golden,  laced  with  black;  and  each  has 
its  peculiar  charm  that  demands  admiration. 

The  largest  crests  we  ever  saw  were  developed  on  the  Silver 
laced  variety^  and  we  believe  they  are  capable  of  carrying  the 
greatest  abundance  of  feathers  in  this  section.  The  largest  crest 
we  know  of  measured  fourteen  inches  from  side  tip  to  opposite 
tip,  when  held  out,  and  was  as  large  as  a  derby  hat,  when  fallen 
about  the  bird's  face. 

An  idea  of  how  these  birds'  crests  were  protected  for  their 
journey  to  the  show,  may  be  of  interest.  The  illustration  will 
best  tell  the  story.  The  crest  is  drawn  up  above  the  head  and 
tied  with  strong,  soft  thread,  passing  the  thread  through  the 
crest  several  times  with  a  needle,  so  that  the  tie  cannot  slip  off, 
or  get  out  of  place.  This  will  protect  the  crest  from  being 
mussed  and  broken,  and  will  also  enable  the  bird  to  see  its  food 
in  the  coop.  A  little  care  at  the  journey's  end  will  put  the 
crest  into  nice  shape  again  to  go  into  the  exhibtion  pen.  A  hen's 
crest  of  good  shape  should  form  a  pawpaw-like  covering  to  the 
head,  drooping  well  onto  the  muff  and  full  and  round  on  top. 

Polish  will  be  found  capital  layers  of  fair-sized  white  eggs. 
They  are  non-sitters.  As  table  fowls  I  would  select  something 
else. 

As  the  crest  of  the  Polish  is  its  great  point  of  beauty,  so  also 
is  it  the  greatest  annoyance  to  those  who  do  not  understand  its 
proper  handling.  The  crest  must  be  kept  out  of  the  wet.  More 
sickness  comes  to  the  Polish  through  neglect  of  this  than  from 
any  other  cause.  In  fact,  the  only  sick  crested  birds  we  ever 
had  were  ailing  from  cold  in  the  head  on  account  of  being  com- 
pelled to  be  in  a  draft  after  their  heads  had  become  wet.  They 
should  have  access  to  dry  shelter  in  all  weather,  and  in  rainy 
seasons  they  are  better  not  out  at  all,  except  under  covered 
runs. 

The  drinking  fountain  for  crested  fowls  of  all  kinds  should 
be  so  constructed  that  only  the  beak  can  be  put  to  the  water. 

The  Polish  will  most  please  those  who  love  to  gratify  a  fancy 
for  extreme  development  of  the  unusual  oddities  of  the  poultry 
yard.  Really  good  Polish  are  rare  and  it  is  only  those  that  are 
crowded  full  of  good  plumage  and  character  that  will  be  prized 
in  the  best  exhibitions  by  critics,  and  those  in  search  of  the  ex- 
traordinary. They  are  among  the  races  which  require  the  most 
artful  handling  to  develop  well. 


THE  HAMBURG  FOWLS 


The  Leading  Representatives  of  the  Dutch  Breeds,  Prized 

for  Their  Beauty  and  Possessing  Much 

Practical  Merit. 


It  is  not  a  common  occurrence  for  fanciers  investing  in 
good  Hamburgs  to  lose  money  on  them.  The  Hamburgs  are 
always  beautiful  and  interesting,  and  at  the  same  time  very  pro- 
ductive of  eggs. 

An  English  writer  tells  of  how  in  that  country  they  have 
fallen  into  the  hands  of  the  "professionals"  alone.  That  is  be- 
cause it  takes  such  artful  skill  to  produce  birds  of  the  breed 
that  are  good  enough  to  meet  success  at  their  shows — they  have 
been  bred  so  fine  in  that  land  of  skillful  breeders. 

The  subject  of  our  leading  sketch — a  winner  at  the  "Dairy" 
in  1892 — is  of  the  race  that  first  inspired  exhibits  of  fine  fowls. 
The  Silver  Spangled  Hamburgs  were  then  called  "Mooneys." 
"Pheasant  fowls,"  etc.,  and  the  fanciers  of  Lancashire  used  to 
meet  with  their  "Mooneys"  to  compare  pullets,  in  some  ac- 
commodating inn  or  tavern. 

The  strife  was  to  get  the  largest  and  glossiest  "moons,"  or 
spangles  as  we  now  term  the  spots  at  the  end  of  the  feathers. 
There  was  an  old  strain  of  "Mooneys"  that  produced  "hen  tailed 
cocks"  (or  hen  feathered).  These  birds  it  is  said  possessed  ex- 
tremely large  spangles  and  in  years  afterward  when  winning  at 
shows  in  England  had  become  so  profitable — many  searches  for 
birds  of  this  old  hen-tailed  family  were  made  by  Hamburg  breed- 
ers and  exhibitors.  It  has  been  considered  by  good  authorities 
that  this  breeding  from  hen-tailed  males  had  no  good  effects  on 
the  race  for  egg  production,  and  it  has  been  found  in  other 
breeds  with  a  like  characteristic,  that  with  the  continued  use  of 
these  short  feathered  male  birds  (which  are  often  nearly  or 
quite  sterile)   their  stock  is  almost  non-productive. 

But  the  Hamburg,  in  spite  of  all  the  close  inbreeding  it 
has  in  many  cases  undergone,  can  do  well  toward  maintaining 
its  record  as  a  layer.  The  early  home  of  the  Hamburgs  is  credit- 
ed to  Holland  and  Belgium,  but  the  show  Hamburgs  as  we  know 
them  today,  most  certainly  owe  their  fine  feathers  at  least,  to 
the  energy  of  the  British  fanciers  and  the  Lancashire  breeders 
claim  the  chief  honors. 

The  Silver  Spangled  Hamburg  has  no  doubt  had  as  much 


HAMBURGS. 


67 


study  put  upon  its  fine  points  of  color  and  form  by  its  admirers 
as  any  race  of  fancy  fowls  in  the  world  can  boast  of,  and  today 
it  is  as  precisely  bred  and  trained  for  the  show  rooms  as  any 
race  extant. 


Silver  Spangled  Hamburg  Cock;  An  English  Winner. 


There  was  a  time  when  a  bird  with  plumage  furnished  with 
spangles  like  Fig.  2  would  have  been  valued  in  Lancashire  and 
even  narrow  crescent  shaped  spots  were  considered  handsome, 
but  fanci'es  and  whims  have  long  since  changed  and  the  style 
demands  a  "full  moon."     It  was  several  years  ago  when  asking 


68  POULTRY   MANUAL. 

a  fancier,  who  had  led  for  some  time  with  the  Spangled  Ham- 
burgs,  what  he  did  with  those  birds  showing  the  crescent  shaped 
spangles,  he  shortly  answered,  "we  eat  them."  Such  fowls  are 
not  worthy  show  Hamburgs,  they  belong  to  the  free  range  of  the 
farm  yard,  where  they  will  be  valued  as  layers.  The  Ham- 
burgs for  the  show  room  should  be  up  to  the  present  day  per- 
fections. 

Figure  three  represents  a  tail-proper  feather  showing  a  very 
common  fault,  the  mossy  peculiarity  in  the  web  where  it  should 
be  spotless  white. 

All  the  Hamburgs  are  best  handled  where  they  can  have 
free  range;  one  writer  advised  no  one  to  venture  in  them  unless 
they  can  be  so  reared.     With  such  conditions  and  proper  housing 


Sample    Feathers    From    the    Silver   Spangled   Hamburg- 


and  feeding  strong  constitutions  can  be  counted  upon,  wide- 
awake and  sprightly-carried  show  birds  with  enough  vigor  to 
put  good  feeding  into  glossy  coats  and  bright  combs,  and  to  do 
justice  to  the  egg  baskets  when  the  shows  are  out  of  season. 

The  Golden  Spangled  variety  is  essentially  the  same  as  the 
Silver  Spangled,  except  that  the  white  of  the  Silvers  is  replaced 
by  the  deep,  reddish  bay  on  the  Goldens. 

The  Penciled  Hamburgs. 

The  Penciled  varieties,  Golden  and  Silver,  are  claimed  by 
some  authorities  to  be  the  original  Hamburgs.  They  are  less 
robust  in  build  than  the  Spangled  varieties  and,  as  a  rule,  not 
as  large. 

The  Golden  male  has  a  body  color  of  reddish  bay  with  black 
in  the  primaries,  secondaries  and  coverts  of  wings  and  with  a 
greenish  black  with  an  edging  of  reddish  bay  on  sickles  and 
coverts  of  tail.  Th»  female  has  a  hackle  of  bright  reddish  bay 
and  a  body  plumage  of  the  same  color  with  each  feather  crossed 
with    regular,    parallel    bars    of    greenish    black    penciling.     In 


HAMBURGS. 


69 


reality  these  dark  bars  do  not  look  at  all  like  penciling  but 
more  like  the  bar  of  a  Plymouth  Rock.  The  Silver  Penciled 
Hamburg  is  like  the  Golden  but  changes  the  reddish  bay  for 
white. 

White  and  Black  Hamburgs  find  favor  with  those  who  like 
the  Hamburg  characteristics  of  shape,  etc.,  but  prefer  a  solid 
colored  fowl.  In  other  ways  except  color  of  plumage  they  are 
like  the  penciled  varieties. 

The  form  of  the  Hamburg 
is  by  some  confused  with  that 
of  the  Leghorn,  but  a  compari- 
son of  the  two  types  will  re- 
veal that  the  Hamburg  pos- 
sesses more  rounded  lines, 
shorter  head,  rounder  skull, 
more  prominent  eyes,  a  longer 
appearing  body,  for  the  size 
of  the  bird,  more  drooping  and 
broader  wings,  lower  carried 
and  wider  spread  tail,  and  a 
very  noticeable  characteristic 
unusual  for  the  cushion  or  sad- 
dle. 

This  is  a  point  looked  for 
oy  fanciers  andi  preserved,  as 
Its  form  is  an  advantage  in 
displaying  the  spangles,  show- 
ing more  length  of  the  feather 
tip,  than  does  a  concave  sweep  to  the  tail. 

The  rose  comb  of  the  Hamburg  also  has  a  style  of  its  own, 
square  in  front,  rather  flat  across  the  corrugations  of  the  top,  in 
no  way  drooping  onto  the  head.  Solid  and  firm  on  the  head, 
and  finishing  in  the  beak  with  a  smooth,  finely  tapered  spike, 
which  turns  gradually  and  slightly  upward,  it  is  a  smartly  car- 
ried, coral-like  comb  that  gives  a  fine  bit  of  contrast  in  color  to 
the  clear  black  and  white  plumage.  The  wattles  are  not  very 
long,  more  rounded  than  is  usually  seen  in  Leghorns  and  not  so 
pendulous  or  loosely  hung.  The  face  is  rounded  and  often  is 
seen  on  it  the  dark  purple  or  black  enamel  giving  use  to  the  term 
"gypsy  faced."  The  ear  lobe  is  large  and  should  be  free  from 
wrinkles,  set  on  flat  to  the  face,  not  standing  out  much  or  in 
folds — its  color  equal  to  a  new  white  kid  glove.  The  legs  and 
feet  are  light  bluish  slate,  are  fine  in  bone  and  very  trim  and 
well-formed.  The  expert  English  fanciers  favor  in  the  show 
Hamburg  that  sprightly  tip-toeing,  or  bantam-like  walk,  and  en- 
courage   it  by   training. 

We  might  say  that  our  model  for  the  male  bird  in  the  pres- 
ent article  was  overcrowded  with  good  plumage,  if  such  a  thing 


Silver      Spang-led      Hamburg- 
Female. 


70  POULTRY  MANUAL. 

could  be,  yet  we  have  seen  some  foolish  judges  who  would  not 
recognize  a  bird's  quality  that  was  over  wealthy  in  quality.  Here 
it  is  seen  in  the  spangles  being  so  large  and  the  feathering  so 
profuse  that  the  spangles  seem  "trespassing"  on  each  other's 
ground,  or,  as  might  be  considered  by  some  faulty  for  a  show 
bird,  overlapping.  But  such  a  bird  among  American  Hamburgs 
would  be  worth  his  weight  in  gold.  You  could  pluck  from  any 
spot  on  his  breast  such  feathers  as  number  one.  The  importing 
of  a  few  such  specimens  would  revolutionize  Hamburgs  in  our 
country  and  awaken  the  interest  in  the  old  race  on  which  has 
been  spent  so  much  artful  breeding. 


THE  HOUDAN  BREED 


The  Most  Popular  of  all  French  Varieties  and  Held  in  High 
Esteem  as  a  Table  Fowl. 


The  Houdan:  To  the  Frenchman,  par  excellence,  as  a  mar- 
ket fowl,  and  the  leading  race  of  France  according  to  American 
tastes.  The  Houdan  has  changed  very  little  with  American  fan- 
ciers for  twenty  years.  It  is  one  of  our  earliest  fancies  and 
not  by  any  means  the  least  interesting  or  profitable. 

Recent  visitors  to  France,  representing  the  London  Feather- 
ed World,  inform  us:  "All  we  can  write  of  the  Houdan  at  Hou- 
dan is  that  the  type  of  comb  is  uniform,  it  is  the  true  leaf,  or 
butterfly  comb  we  have  always  upheld.  The  two  wings  exactly 
correspond  to  each  other,  held  well  apart  by  the  little  twig  or 
excrescence  running  up  the  center.  The  comb  a  la  Francaise 
must  be  perfectly  straight  on  the  head,  fine  in  texture,  moderate- 
ly serrated  and  free  from  spiky  excrescences;  would  that  we 
could  have  brought  back  one  of  these  combs  without  the  rough, 
puny  crests;  the  straw,  nay,  yellow  colored  feathers;  the  small, 
tucked  up  bodies  I     It  was  impossible." 

We  trust  the  writer  of  the  above  did  not  see  the  best  Hou- 
dans  of  France;  we  have  seen  fair  specimens  of  the  breed  in 
their  native  country,  though  we  must  confess  that  they  were 
not  equal  to  the  best  models  we  found  in  the  show  rooms  of 
England  or  America. 

As  a  representative  of  the  fancy  show  points  desired  by 
the  English  breeders  in  the  Houdan,  we  cannot  offer  better 
than  the  portrait  of  Mrs.  T.  Aldworth's  winner  of  the  Lord 
Mayor's  cup  at  the  Dairy  Show,  England,  The  London  Stock 
Keeper  said  of  him:  "The  bird  himself  may,  so  far  as  correct- 
ness of  shape  is  concerned,  be  regarded  as  one  of  the  finest 
specimens  of  his  variety  that  has  yet  appeared.     The  chief  ex- 


HOUDANS 


71 


ception,  if  not  the  only  serious  one,  that  can  be  raised  against 
him  is  his  comparative  smallness  of  size,  but  his  shortcomings 
in  this  respect  are  amply  compensated  for  by  his  feathering, 
shape,  style,  and  excellent  comb,  the  latter  point  being  one  of 
the  most  perfect  that  we  have  seen  in  a  long  time."  It  will  be 
noticed  that  in  the  above  special  attention  is  given  to  the  perfect 


A  Pair  of  Standard  Houdans. 


form  of  the  bird's  comb  and  also  that  this  "leaf"  comb  is  the 
same  original  type  of  comb  selected  and  so  closely  adhered  to 
by  the  BYench  for  their  favorite  Houdan.  We  do  not  know  just 
at  what  time  the  Americans  caused  a  change  in  the  Houdan 
standard  of  comb,  but  it  is  to  be  regretted  that  many  have  been 
led  to  believe  that  the  comb  of  the  Houdan  could  be  bettered  by 


72  POULTRY  MANUAL. 

selecting  it,  like  that  found  on  the  Polish,  viz.:  the  very  small 
V  comb.  We  look  for  the  day  when  the  Houdan  fanciers  of 
America  will  recognize  the  mistake,  and  that  judges  will  encour- 
age the  true  "leaf"  comb  of  the  true  Houdan  again. 

The  Houdan,  like  the  Dorking,  must  have  well-shaped  toes, 
a  fifth  claw  that  ends  downwards  is  a  poor  thing  for  the  bird's 
comfort,  continually  being  bruised  and  causing  the  bird  to  suf- 
fer. 

The  French  claim  for  their  Houdans  that  they  will  dress  one- 
fifth  heavier  in  proportion  to  their  size  than  any  other  kind  of 
fowl.  This  only  can  be  realized  by  those  possessing  deep  keeled, 
long,  plump  breasted  Houdans  with  a  comparatively  small 
amount  of  offal.  Their  flesh  must  be  very  fine  grained,  the  skin 
smooth  and  white. 

Houdan  Method  of  Fattening. 

We  quote  from  the  Feathered  World  to  give  an  idea  of  the 
Houdan  method  of  fattening  these  birds:  "Plenty  of  heat,  plenty 
of  food,  and  perfect  dryness,  seemed  the  three  objects  in  view. 
A  simple,  strongly  built  wooden  house,  which  served  also  as  a 
storeroom  and  food  mixing  house.  This  also  was  straw  lined 
round  the  interior.  On  the  floor  two  movable  baskets  a  yard  in 
diameter,  and  about  eighteen  inches  high,  contained  six  to  eight 
cockerels  and  pullets  respectively,  from  ten  to  sixteen  weeks  old, 
undergoing  the  fattening  process.  We  were  told  that  three 
weeks  of  such  confinement  with  proper  food  added  two  pounds 
weight,  and  on  our  own  authority  we  must  add  "of  fat."  Chick- 
ens extracted  from  either  basket,  certainly  handled  heavier  than 
one  would  expect  at  such  an  age.  Taken  from  such  close  quar- 
ters one  was  not  surprised  to  find  the  feathers  round  the  breast 
and  thighs  in  a  soiled  condition,  though  the  baskets  were  clean- 
ed every  two  or  three  days.  The  skin  beneath  was  fine  and 
smooth,  and  the  flesh  a  bluey  white,  and  perfectly  free  from 
insects.  The  food  consisted  of  finely  ground  barley  meal,  re- 
duced with  skimmed  milk  to  a  fluid  state,  and  passed  into  the 
crop  of  the  fowl  through  a  tin  funnel  inserted  into  the  gullet 
jwo  or  three  times  a  day;  the  operation  of  feeding  was  perform- 
ed more  for  our  edification  than  for  the  unhappy  chicken,  and 
j3o  quickly  withal  that  the  kodak  could  not  snap  it.  To  secure 
the  desired  fiesh  whiteness,  death  must  be  effected  by  bleeding. 
In  this  district  a  deep  cut  is  made  in  the  front  of  the  neck  just 
below  the  junction  of  the  mandibles,  severing  gullet  and  wind- 
pipe and  some  of  the  arteries  and  veins.  All  the  blood  was 
wiped  away  from  the  wound  before  the  fowl  was  carefully  and 
slowly  plucked.  The  primaries  and  tail  feathers  were  left  un- 
touched. Then  the  fowl  was  subjected  to  several  hearty  smacks 
from  a  piece  of  wood  shaped  like  a  cricket  bat,  but  very  much 
thinner  and  lighter,   administered    on    the    back    between    the 


HOUDANS. 


73 


shoulders,  on  the  breast  and  finally  on  the  rear.  This  smacking 
process  demands  the  skill  of  an  adroit  pedagogue;  no  bones  are 
broken,  yet  the  body  of  the  fowl  is  shaped  and  plumped  up,  and 
the  joints  and  muscles  loosened  to  enable  them  to  be  twisted 
into  most  unnatural  positions  for  the  purpose  of  market." 

This  artful  shaping  of  a  fowl  to  suit  any  market  is  widely 
practiced  by  the  French  fatters  and  poulterers.     If  their  market 


Mrs.  Aldworth's  Winning  Houdan  at  the  Dairy  Shuw,  England. 


requires  a  deep,  narrow  breasted  bird,  the  fowl  is  laid  on  its 
side  with  a  heavy  weighted  board  on  it  while  cooling,  but  should 
the  handlers'  local  market  wish  wide  breasted  fowls,  he  has  only 
to  give  it  the  proper  hammering  to  loosen  the  flesh  and  joints 
and  placing  the  birds  on  their  backs  in  rows,  rest  the  weighted 
board  on  their  breasts  while  they  are   cooling,  and   when   cold 


New   York   Winning    Indians    Described    by    Mr.    Sewell. 


INDIANS.  75 

and  set  they  will  be  pressed  into,  and  keep,  the  required  shape. 
And  we  do  not  know  that  it  makes  any  difference  on  the  table 
of  the  consumer  whether  the  shape  of  the  bird's  breast  is  made 
before  or  after  killing,  so  long  as  the  same  quantity  and  quality 
is  there.  The  special  housing  and  care  of  the  Houdan  to  keep 
them  in  the  best  condition  is  the  same  as  with  other  crested 
breeds.  Perfect  shelter  from  wet  weather  is  the  greatest  re- 
quirement in  point  of  housing.  In  cold,  wet  seasons  the  Hou- 
dans  are  very  apt  to  suffer  if  their  crests  are  allowed  to  become 
wet,  and  bad  colds  are  easier  prevented  than  cured.  The  Hou- 
dans  are  fair  layers  of  large,  white  eggs,  and  almost  never  set. 
It  is  as  table  poultry  that  they  excel,  either  pure  or  crossed,  and 
where  consumei'S  look  for  genuine  quality  of  flesh  they  will  be 
appreciated. 


INDIAN  FOWLS 


A  Breed  of  Oriental  Extraction  Much  Used  for  Crossing  to 
Improve  the  Market  Qualities  of  Heavier  Breeds. 

It  is  the  table  qualities  of  the  Indian  that  has  given  it  such 
popularity  in  England,  where  it  is  much  crossed  with  the  Dork- 
ing and  Langshan  by  the  market  poultry  producers,  to  give 
breadth  and  roundness  to  the  breasts  of  their  birds  that  are  to 
find  the  highest  paying  buyers  at  the  London  markets.  The 
carcasses  possessing  white  skins  and  the  fifth  claw  bringing, 
perhaps,  the  top  prices  in  England  by  those  of  epicurean  tastes, 
but  the  larger  number  of  buyers  go  in  for  a  carcass  possessing 
a  combination  of  quality  and  quantity  of  flesh  on  the  best  parts 
of  the  fowl,  and  it  is  just  here  wherein  the  Indian  is  of  greatest 
value,  for  on  thigh  and  breast  they  possess  a  wealth  of  flesh 
such  as  will  rarely  be  found  on  the  bodies  of  other  breeds.  It  is 
not  uncommon  to  see  in  the  farm  yards  of  the  south  counties  of 
England  a  Dorking  like  crowd  of  hens  presided  over  by  a  staunch 
looking  male  of  the  Indian  order.  In  our  own  good  country, 
progressive  farmers  are  placing  thoroughbreds  at  the  head  of 
their  flocks  that  scratch  up  and  down  their  dung  heaps,  and  not 
a  few  will  make  their  choice  of  males  from  fanciers  of  the  heavy- 
typed  Indian. 

We  cannot  offer  better  types  of  the  exhibition  Indian  Game 
of  America  or  England  than  our  sketches  of  Mr.  Sharp's  four 
first  premium  winners  at  New  York  in  1894.  Each  bird  stand- 
ing, after  the  award  went  up,  at  the  head  of  a  very  strong  class. 

The  old  cock  shows  a  breast  and  thigh  grandly  developed; 
his  head  is  fine,  his  neck,  limbs  and  tail  are  so  perfectly  set  on 


INDIANS.  77 

and  all  is  carried  so  proudly  on  a  strong  pair  of  feet  and  shanks. 

Both  hen  and  pullet  show  fine  forms,  the  hen  especially 
broad  and  plump,  and  the  pullet  grand  of  shoulder  and  legs. 
They  are  such  birds  as  ane  seldom  meets  for  real  quality  of  type, 
and  for  feather  each  wore  a  complete  dress  of  richly  colored 
double  laced  feathers. 

The  cockerel  was  one  of  those  smart  finished  looking  fellows, 
which  always  attract  both  fancier  and  judge.  He  was  also  as 
gamey  a  bird  as  I  ever  saw,  giving  us  no  little  trouble  to  sketch, 
as  the  moment  our  hand  would  enter  the  cage  he  would  attack 
with  both  beak  and  claw,  and  strike  "to  kill."  It  was  this  that 
led  us  to  illustrate  him  in  such  a  gamey  temper. 

It  is  only  just  to  add  here  that  it  was  through  the  untiring 
efforts  and  expenditure  of  many  thousand  dollars  on  the  part  of 
C.  A,  Sharp  &  Co.,  of  New  York,  that  the  American  fanciers 
were  brought  to  see  the  true  value  of  the  Indian. 

The  interest  the  fancier  has  shown  in  them  has  been  re- 
markable since  their  first  introduction  into  America  in  1877,  and 
since  the  Sharps  made  their  extensive  importations,  bringing  to 
this  country  hundreds  of  England's  best  specimens,  the  desire  for 
them  quite  became  a  mania. 

In  England  we  found  that  the  birds  most  prized  for  market- 
ing were  those  showing  not  a  great  deal  of  center-color  but  pos- 
sessing those  contrasts  which  present  attractive  effects  to  the 
eye,  when  seen  on  the  bird  in  the  pen,  a  clean  sharp  lacing  with 
only  enough  color  within  it  to  prove  the  character  of  the  race — 
such  feathering  as  shown  by  figures  4,  5  and  3,  4  and  5  both 
were  from  a  famous  English  prize  pullet.  Four  is  the  truest 
marked,  although  5  would  be  the  most  showy,  if  it  had  not  the 
defective  inner  lacing,  breaking  as  it  joins  the  shaft  at  the 
lower  end.  Such  marking  as  figure  3  makes  a  bird  very  at- 
tractive, and  is  difiicult  to  find  to  a  nicety.  Marking  like  figure 
2  makes  a  bird  too  black,  leaving  not  enough  of  the  lighter  color 
for  strong  contrast,  giving  a  gross  effect.  Six  shows  a  covert 
feather  so  broken  and  irregularly  laced  as  to  appear  massy;  it 
is  a  common  defect  on  this  section  of  the  body,  yet  when  the 
coverts  extend,  with  perfectly  clear  and  nicely  traced  penciling, 
up  against  the  tail  proper,  as  we  have  seen  it  in  rare  specimens, 
the  bird  is  far  more  showy  and  of  much  greater  value  in  the 
fancier's  eye. 

White  Indians  are  in  every  respect  the  same  as  the  colored 
(Cornish)  variety,  except  that  their  plumage  is  required  to  be 
pure  white.  They  have  not  attained  such  perfection  of  form 
as  the  colored  variety  though  excellent  and  typical  specimens 
are  exhibited  at  the  larger  shows.. 


TURKEYS 

The  Largest  of  the  Poultryman's  Flock — Principal  Char- 
acteristics— The  Different  Varieties 


Turkeys  were  originally  from  North  America,  and  were  found 
from  the  east  side  of  the  Rocky  mountains  to  the  Atlantic  and 
from  Canada  to  the  isthmus  of  Darien. 

In  reading  early  histories  of  the  race  we  find  that  as  late  as 
1860  they  were  occasionally  found  in  the  mountains  of  Massa- 
chusetts, though  they  are  now  considered  quite  extinct  in  the 
New  England  states.  They  were  also  found  in  the  wooded  dis- 
trict of  the  larger  islands  of  the  West  Indies.  In  Central  Amer- 
ica is  found  the  Honduras  or  Ocellated  turkey,  not  so  large  nor 
with  quite  so  long  a  tail  as  the  more  widely  distributed  species, 
but  for  luster  of  plumage  it  far  outshines  it.  The  glossy  plu- 
mage is  a  coppery  green.  Its  specific  name  is  derived  from  eye- 
spots  of  bluish  gloss,  surrounded  by  a  black  ring,  found  at  the 
end  of  the  tail  coverts. 

The  turkey  was  probably  first  introduced  by  the  Spaniards 
into  Europe,  about  1530,  and  it  is  possible  that  the  Ocellated 
turkey  founrl  its  way  to  Europe  among  the  first  that  were  taken 
over.  The  domestication  of  the  turkeys  appears  to  have  been 
commenced  in  England  near  the  beginning  of  the  16th  century. 
It  was  successfully  naturalized  in  the  royal  park  of  Richmond 
near  London.  In  the  first  half  of  the  18th  century  this  park 
contained  about  two  thousand  of  these  grand  birds,  but  it  is 
said  that  the  frequent  fights  between  poachers  and  the  keepers, 
to  whom  the  protection  of  the  birds  was  entrusted,  led  the  own- 
ers to  destroy  them. 

The  pure  wild  turkey  has  been  bred  with  a  degree  of  success 
by  some  in  America  during  late  years,  although  their  tendency 
to  stray  is,  as  might  be  expected,  more  troublesome  than  with 
families  which  have  been  for  many  generations  domesticated 
and  under  the  care  of  man. 

Many  of  our  best  strains  of  Bronze  turkeys  have  a  cross  of 
wild  blood  in  them,  of  not  many  generations  back;  these  lately 
wild-crossed  turkeys  are  considered  by  many  to  be  hardier  for 
the  introduction  of  vigorous  blood. 

In  the  wild  state,  the  males  associate  by  themselves  in 
flocks  of  one  hundred  or  less,  and  seek  their  food  apart  from 
the  females,  except  in  the  breeding  season.  The  females  go 
about  either  in  flocks  or  singly  with  their  young  until  the  young 


TURKEYS. 


n 


are  about  two-thirds  grown.  The  females  with  their  young,  all 
avoid  the  males,  who  are  liable  to  attack  and  destroy  the  young 
by  repeated  blows  upon  the  head.  These  different  flocks,  how- 
ever, all  travel  toward  the  same  direction  on  foot,  unless  molest- 
ed and  frightened  by  the  hunter,  or  unless  compelled  to  take 
flight  over  some  river  in  their  course. 

The  wild  turkey  makes  her  nest  in  some  secluded  spot  and 


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A  Pair  of  Standard  Bred   Bronze  Turkeys. 


is  exceedingly  guarded  so  as  not  to  be  seen  as  she  approaches 
it.  This  instinct  of  caution  about  returning  to  her  nest  is 
scarcely  less  noticeable  in  the  domesticated  birds,  when  they 
are  allowed  to  select  their  own  nesting  places.     The  slightest 


so  POULTRY  MANUAL. 

crackling  of  a  twig  or  branch  by  the  nest  seeker  and  mistress 
turkey  goes  picking  about  as  unconcernedly  as  if  such  a  thing 
as  a  nest  never  entered  her  head.  Cunningly  she  will  avoid  you 
and  we  have  had  her,  when  failing  to  steal  from  our  sight,  and 
perhaps  thinking  her  eggs  liable  to  chill  from  staying  away  too 
long,  take  flight  to  nearly  a  hundred  yards  in  the  undergrowth 
of  the  woodland  where  her  nest  was  hidden,  however,  not  in  the 
direction  of  her  eggs,  but  to  a  distant  angle  of  it,  and  only  after 
long  and  patient  search  were  we  rewarded  by  discovering  her 
place  of  nesting.  The  crows  have  sometimes  assisted  us  in  lo- 
cating the  nest  of  our  turkey  hens  which  have  selected  the 
woods  as  their  hatching  place,  by  destroying  some  of  the  eggs 
and  dropping  the  shells  near  the  nest. 

There  are  many  who  succeed  in  rearing  the  young  turkeys 
by  hatching  under  common  hens  and  keeping  the  young  poults  in 
enclosures  until  the  turkey  chicks  are  large  and  strong  enough 
to  iump  out  over  the  foot  high  boards.  Others  stake  the  hen 
with  a  string  tied  to  the  leg  to  keep  her  from  wandering  with 
the  young,  giving  her  close  shelter  in  case  of  storm  and  wet, 
in  the  form  of  some  box  like  coop.  In  our  own  experience  we 
found  little  difficulty  in  rearing  young  turkeys  under  hens  until 
weaning  time  came,  then  they  plainly  showed  a  lacking  in  their 
"bringing  up."  They  gave  no  end  of  trouble  in  their  care,  while 
those  with  the  hen  turkeys  which  were  allowed  to  select  their 
own  nests  and  bring  up  their  own  broods,  and  which  were  scarce- 
ly given  a  thought,  reared  nearly  all  they  hatched  to  grand  birds 
weighing  18  to  28  pounds  by  November.  So  with  limited  time, 
and  vigorous  stock  that  has  the  range  of  meadow  and  woodlands 
such  as  our  turkeys  enjoy  we  have  decided  it  was  more  profit- 
able to  give  the  turkeys  the  reins  of  management  in  those  sea- 
sons when  food  is  plenty  on  the  farm,  and  to  supply  them  grain 
only  in  small  quantities  to  keep  them  "at  home"  during  the  sum- 
mer and  to  help  them  to  a  fat  condition  at  the  season  when 
they  are  desired  for  the  market.  As  for  shelter  our  turkeys 
will  not  accept  it,  preferring  apple  trees  to  coops  and  the  peak 
of  a  barn  to  the  warm  interior.  Though  we  know  of  an  old 
gobbler  who  earned  the  distinction  of  "weather  prophet"  by 
wisely  taking  shelter  in  the  hen  coop  on  the  eve  of  nights  during 
which  severe  storms  took  place.  And  his  owner  grew  to  have 
such  confidence  in  his  wise  old  bird  that  he  took  the  bird's  ac- 
tions as  conclusive  of  the  coming  weather. 

The  domestication  of  the  turkey  has  had  its  effect  upon  the 
plumage.  Melanism  as  with  the  Black  and  Alcanism  with  the 
White  has  taken  place,  also  the  intermediate  colors  of  slate, 
buff  and  many  mixtures  are  to  be  seen.  The  bronze  is  almost, 
we  might  say,  the  counterpart  of  the  pure  wild  turkey  in  color. 
Fanciers  select  it  with  stronger  contrasts  of  shades,  however. 
The  darkest  shades  darker,  and  the  lightest  shades  almost  white 
is  the  present  fashion  for  the  show  room.     Clean  cut,  precise 


TURKEYS.  81 

pencilings  and  regularity  of  barring  is  obtained  by  exacting  se- 
lections and  careful  line  breeding,  so  that  the  bronze  turkey 
in  some  instances  has  been  produced  with  color  and  form  that 
could  scarcely  be  criticised  by  the  present  standard.  Twenty- 
five  to  thirty  pounds  in  young  turks  and  thirty-five  to  forty 
pounds  in  old  gobblers  is  not  unusual  in  show  rooms,  where  the 
best  birds  compete. 

The  largest  hens  are  not  always  found  to  be  the  best  breed- 
ers, yet  they  show  what  the  race  is  capable  of  and  what  se- 
lection may  yet  bring  them  to  in  time. 

If  great  size  is  attended  with  a  proportionate  amount  or 
fiesh  on  the  most  desirable  parts,  and  of  good  quality,  fine  grain- 
ed and  succulent,  then  we  would  encourage  such  breeding.  Past 
experience  has  generally  led  men  to  conclude  that  birds  as  well 
as  animals  can  be  too  large  to  be  fine  and  good  in  quality.  Still 
we  do  not  wish  to  be  understood  to  discourage  selecting  for 
size;  the  fault  usually  is  in  the  other  direction  with  the  birds 
themselves.  But  we  do  wish  to  urge  the  selection  of  birds  for 
breeding  that  possess  round,  full  breasts,  with  deep  keel  bone, 
and  that  come  from  stock  which  produced  many  eggs  and  stock 
noticeably  vigorous  and  free  of  disease  of  any  sort. 

The  Bronze,  although  the  largest  of  all  races  of  turkeys,  is 
generally  found  of  firm,  fine  fiesh. 

The  finest  grained  flesh  of  any  turkeys  we  have  ever  seen 
was  on  Western  Bronzes,  which  showed  the  wild  blood  strongly, 
even  to  the  flesh-colored  leg;  their  plumage  was  wonderfully 
glossy  and  firm,  and  when  we  examined  them,  found  the  skin 
unusually  fine-grained  and  smooth,  although  the  birds  were  con- 
siderably over  standard  weight. 

The  turkey  does  not  reach  its  full  maturity  and  growth  until 
its  third  season.  It  is,  therefore,  best  to  use  only  birds  that 
have  reached  at  least  their  second  season  to  breed  from  when 
improvement  in  vigor  and  size  is  desired. 

Free  Range  Required. 

Free  range  is  requisite  to  the  vigor  and  successful  rearing 
of  turkeys.  These  birds  belong  to  the  farming  fanciers.  The 
town  is  no  place  to  keep  them;  in  close  confinement  they  are 
poor  property  and  no  little  source  of  annoyance  on  account  of 
their  restless  desire  to  wander.  We  have  heard  of  turkeys 
whose  owners  claimed  were  content  to  stay  about  the  dooryard 
and  not  trouble  the  neighbors,  but  the  profitable  kind  are  those 
that  will  forage  out  over  the  meadows  and  stubble  fields,  and 
into  the  woods,  gaining  the  greater  portion  of  their  food  for 
themselves.  Our  experience  with  the  dooryard  sort  led  us  to 
favor  those  that  kept  away  from  the  buildings,  except  at  roost- 
ing time.  We  have  had  birds  so  tame  that  they  would  come  up 
under  the  windows  of  our  cottage  and  take  food  held  in  the 
hand  from  the  open  window — in  fact  one  old  hen  seemed  to  pre- 


S2  POULTRY  MANUAL. 

fer  to  get  her  living  that  way,  but  she  was  always  so  fat  that 
her  eggs  never  produced  us  anything. 

In  Rhode  Island,  at  the  Experimental  Station,  turkeys  kept 
in  the  best  health  when  strictly  without  housing  of  any  kind. 
In  the  climate  where  we  are  located,  in  Michigan,  across  the  lake 
from  Chicago,  turkeys  rarely  seek  buildings  for  shelter.  In 
Canada,  however,  some  of  the  most  successful  turkey  rearers 
house  their  turkeys  at  night  but  are  careful  that  the  buildings 
are  well  ventilated.  The  crowding  of  turkeys  in  poorly  ventil- 
ated sheds  is  considered  the  main  cause  of  most  of  the  diseases 
which  the  birds  fall  heir  to. 

Care  of  the  Young. 

The  turkey  hen  succeeds  best  when  allowed  to  sit  on  the 
nest  of  her  own  choice.  We  never  had  one  select  a  poorly  suit- 
ed place  except  when  choosing  barrels  which  we  had  placed  near 
the  barnyard,  and  which  proved  altogether  too  small  for  a  tur- 
key hen  of  good  size  to  get  into  without  injury  to  her  eggs. 
When  the  young  poults  are  hatched,  the  hen  turkey  will  return 
to  her  nest  for  the  first  few  nights,  if  left  alone,  to  care  for  them; 
after  which  she  will  often  nestle  down  in  any  convenient  place 
that  she  seems  to  consider  safe,  which  may  not  always  prove  so 
safe  as  she  supposes.  Foxes  or  other  animals  are  apt  to  dis- 
cover and  destroy  both  mother  turkey  and  chicks.  So  it  is  ad- 
visable to  accustom  the  turkey  hen  to  a  roomy  shelter  or  coop 
with  slat  front,  placing  her  in  the  coop  after  the  young  are 
about  24  hours  old,  or  so  soon  as  the  hen  leads  them  off  the 
nest.  Feed  them  from  the  hand  five  or  six  times  the  first  day 
after  being  cooped,  not  allowing  the  youngsters  to  go  from  the 
coop.  Their  first  food  can  be  bread  crumbs  soaked  in  milk,  the 
second  day  adding  a  little  middlings  or  shorts  to  the  soaked 
crumbs.  Finely  chopped  onions  and  dandelion  leaves  will  prove 
excellent  green  food,  aiding  digestion  and  keeping  up  their  appe- 
tites. Continue  feeding  the  bread  crumbs  the  first  week,  increas- 
ing the  amount  of  shorts.  Some  advise  baking  the  grain  or 
making  up  into  a  sort  of  meal  cake  for  them.  We  always  have 
had  better  results  in  feeding  fowls  with  cooked  grains,  espe- 
cially young  stock.  The  heat  destroys  any  injurious  germs  that 
might  sicken  the  birds.  After  a  week  or  so,  ground  meat  and 
bone  is  valuable  in  their  feed,  in  small  quantities.  Clabbered 
milk,  brought  to  a  boiling  heat  and  with  the  water  squeezed 
from  it,  is  often  mixed  with  the  ground  grain  food — the  young 
birds  are  fond  of  it  and  it  is  good  for  them. 

A  very  essential  point  in  the  care  of  turkey  chicks  is  to  move 
their  coops  to  a  clean  spot  of  ground  each  day.  This  is  practiced 
by  the  painstaking  pheasant  keepers  with  noticeably  success- 
ful results.  Nothing  sickens  young  birds  quicker  than  eating 
from  the  ground  where  their  excrement  has  been  allowed  to 
accumulate. 


TURKEYS  83 

Water  and  milk  should  be  constantly  before  them,  mixing 
them  half  and  half  is  all  right.  The  drinking  vessel  should  be 
frequently  cleaned. 

A  plentiful  supply  of  small  grit  should  be  furnished.  Avoid 
damp  ground  and  wet  grass  for  young  poults;  it  is  very  injurious 
to  them. 

After  the  fifth  week  the  turkey  hen,  with  her  chicks,  can 
have  their  liberty  and  do  well.  The  hen  will  teach  them  to  for- 
age, and  they  will  find  nearly  all  their  food  on  most  farms.  At 
night  they  should  be  enticed  into  their  usual  coop  and  given  a 
liberal  feed  of  wheat,  which  with  all  the  insect  life,  small  weed 
seed  and  vegetable  food  of  various  sorts,  which  they  find  during 
the  day,  will  be  the  only  feeding  they  require  until  grown  and 
ready  to  fatten,  when  corn  will  hasten  their  weight  and  market- 
able condition. 

The  turkey  row  always  seems  of  unusual  attractiveness  to 
the  general  public  who  visit  our  poultry  exhibitions.  It  is  sel- 
dom they  enjoy  the  sight  of  such  a  near-by  view  of  a  mammoth 
Bronze  in  all  his  pride  and  splendor  of  plumage.  Turkeys  in- 
tended for  exhibition  will  improve  in  gloss  if  liberally  supplied 
with  oily  seeds,  such  as  those  from  sunflowers,  hemp  or  flax, 
and  every  precaution  to  induce  tameness  and  confldence  in  their 
handlers  is  desirable.  A  wild,  frightened  bird  in  the  show 
room  is  a  poor  object  for  exhibiting  fine  points.  It  will  not 
show  its  true  quality  or  beauty.  Exhibition  birds  should  be- 
come accustomed  to  handling  and  once  in  a  while  be  placed  in 
a  cage,  like  their  exhibition  pens.  This  can  be  done  at  night, 
and  let  them  have  something  they  are  especially  fond  of  from 
their  keeper's  hand  before  being  turned  out  on  their  usual  range 
in  the  morning.  Constant  confinement  will,  however,  lessen 
their  vigor,  weight  and  beauty  of  feather,  and  cannot  be  forced 
upon  them  often  without  injury  to  them.  If  turkey  owners  will 
patronize  and  encourage  the  dressed  poultry  display"  at  the 
shows,  they  will,  by  showing  the  carcasses  of  finely  grown 
birds,  help  to  popularize  the  thoroughbreds,  by  showing  the  pub- 
lic their  excellent  quality  in  comparison  to  the  too  often  inferior 
meated  fowls,  which  they  are  compelled  to  accept  on  account  of 
the  absence  of  birds  of  choice  condition  and  flesh. 

Varieties  of  Turkeys. 

Of  the  six  varieties  of  turkeys  recognized  by  the  Standard 
of  Perfection,  the  Bronze  are  considerably  the  largest.  Adult 
males  are  required  to  weigh  thirty-six  pounds  and  adult  females 
twenty  pounds.  The  Narragansetts  are  next  in  size,  the  adult 
male  of  which  should  v/eigh  thirty  pounds  and  the  adult  female 
eighteen.  The  Buffs,  Slates  and  Blacks  come  next  and  are  about 
three  pounds  lighter  for  the  adult  male.  The  White  Holland 
variety  is  the  smallest,  the  adult  male  being  required  to  weigh 
but  twenty-six  pounds  and  the  adult  female  sixteen.     All  varie- 


84 


POULTRY  MANUAL. 


ties  are  bred  to  the  same  shape,  the  only  difference  is  in  the 
color. 

In  richness  of  color  and  luster  of  plumage  none  of  the  varie- 
ties can  compete  with  the  Bronze.  The  male  especially  is  very 
brilliant.     His  neck,  back  and  breast  are  a  brilliant,  rich  bronze 


^^^W 


r 


■T 
\ 


4 


\ 


Mammoth  Pekin  Ducks, 


DUCKS.  85 

and  his  main  tail  feathers,  evenly  crossed  with  lines  of  brown 
penciling  ending  with  a  wide  black  band  with  an  edging  of 
white,  covered  at  their  base  with  dull  black  coverts  with  the 
same  markings  of  brown  ending  in  a  wide  dark  bronze  bar  which 
is  in  turn  edged  with  white,  make  a  plumage  of  remarkable 
beauty. 

The  color  of  the  female  is  much  like  that  of  the  male  except 
that  the  white  edging  is  more  prominent  and  is  seen  on  the 
feathers  of  the  back,  breast  and  body,  ranging  from  narrow  at 
the  front  of  the  bird  to  quite  wide  as  it  reaches  the  tail. 

The  Narragansetts  possess  a  color  scheme  very  much  like 
that  of  the  Bronze  differing  in  that  each  feather  ends  with  a 
band  of  grayish  white  on  a  ground  of  metallic  black.  When  the 
color  is  of  strong  character  on  the  Narragansett  it  makes  a 
very  showy  bird. 

The  names  of  the  solid  colored  varieties  sufficiently  describe 
them  except  that  the  Buff  turkeys  are  in  reality  a  sort  of  chest- 
nut and  most  of  them  show  almost  a  clear  white  in  some  parts 
of  the  plumage.  The  Black  turkeys  are  bred  to  a  very  good' 
shade  of  black  but  none  of  the  solid  colored  varieties,  except 
the  White  Holland,  have  become  very  popular.  The  latter  stand 
second  to  the  Bronze  in  favor. 


STANDARD  DUCKS 

The  Pekin  Has  Taken  a  Prominent  Place  in  the  American 
Poultry  Industry — The  Other  Prominent  Varieties. 

The  Pekin  Ducks  have  been  reared  extensively  in  China  for 
a  great  many  years,  in  fact,  longer  than  European  or  American 
travelei  s  have  been  able  to  learn  or  give  us  any  accurate  account 
of.  Stories  have  come  to  us  of  the  curious  duck  boats  and  rafts, 
those  strange  floating  gardens  on  which  the  celestial  duck-man 
rears  his  thousands  of  ducklings  annually,  but  nothing  of  the 
early  history  of  this  grand  race  of  ducks.  The  selection  and 
improvement  of  these  large  white  ducks  kept  on  and  along  the 
great  waterways  of  China,  would,  no  doubt,  be  a  long,  but  inter- 
esting story  to  those  who  are  so  deeply  interested  in  this  race 
of  ducks,  which  have  proven  such  good  money  makers  for  many 
extensive  growers  here  in  America.  The  general  report  is  that 
the  Chinese  are  not  fanciers,  hence  the  probabilities  are  that 
the  improvements  of  the  Pekins  in  their  own  native  country  was 
led  by  the  demands  of  the  most  paying  markets,  just  as  the 
White  Wyandottes  are,  in  our  country,  the  outcome  of  the  whims 
of  the  Boston  poultry  dealers  and  the  growers,  who  cater  tg 
them. 


86  POULTRY   MANUAL. 

It  was  in  1873  that  the  first  importations  of  these  fine 
ducks  came  from  Pekin  to  America.  A  Mr.  Palmer  first  brought 
them  to  this  country  and  Mr.  Keele,  during  the  same  year,  im- 
ported them  to  England. 

Their  improvement  has  been  continued  in  America,  espe- 
cially since  the  establishment  of  the  farms  which  have  exclusive- 
ly grown  these  ducks  for  the  markets  and  whose  entire  aim  has 
been  to  preserve  and  improve  the  points  of  the  Pekins  which 
go  to  make  them  profitable.  One  of  the  essential  points  that 
has  proven  the  fitness  of  the  Pekin  to  these  immense  ranches,  is 
that  it  thrives  well  in  large  flocks. 

To  James  Rankin,  of  Massachusetts,  belongs  the  distinction 
of  being  the  pioneer  of  duck  raising;  he  was  the  first  to  prove 
that  a  good  living  could  be  made  by  handling  Pekins  for  the 
markets  in  large  numbers.  Now  there  are  numerous  duck  farms 
which  handle  the  Pekins  by  the  thousands. 

The  body  of  the  best  Pekins  appears  quite  distinct  in  type, 
unlike  that  of  most  other  ducks  which  tapers  in  form  as  it  ap- 
proaches the  neck  and  the  tail.  The  outline  of  the  Pekin  more 
nearly  fills  that  of  a  parallelogram  carried  at  an  angle  of  forty- 
five  degrees. 

Some  of  the  deepest,  keeled  and  heaviest  bodied  birds  we 
have  seen  carry  the  breast  lower  than  those  we  have  portrayed, 
though  not  on  the  level,  as  seen  often  in  Show  Aylesburys. 
Some  breeders  have  told  us  as  we  admired  those  deep  keeled 
ducks  that  they  feared  that  ducks  of  this  low  type  were  slower 
to  mature  and  not  such  good  layers  as  the  more  up-standing 
style.  Those  we  have  experimented  with  at  our  own  farm  have 
not  seemed  lacking  in  vigor  or  egg  production,  and  certainly 
weigh  heavier  and  are  more  attractive  on  account  of  their  size. 
Still  we  would  rather  take  the  experience  of  those  who  handle 
them  extensively  and  have  more  opportunity  of  practical,  every 
day  comparison.  To  the  practical  duck  rearer  the  question  of 
vigor,  large  ess  yield  and  early  maturity  means  everything.  A 
four-pound  duckling  in  early  April  is  worth  more  than  a  six- 
pound  one  by  the  middle  of  May  that  consumed  food,  took  time 
and  attention  and  valuable  space  for  two  weeks  longer.  So  it 
will  be  seen  that  it  is  the  duckling  that  makes  a  good  sized 
body  quickly  that  is  wanted  for  profit. 

Different  foods  have  different  effects  for  coloring  the  plumage 
and  the  skin  of  the  birds;  fat  produced  from  the  feeding  of  corn 
results  in  a  very  yellow  skin  and  plumage.  In  the  Boston  mar- 
kets of  late  there  has  been  a  call  for  ducklings  that  showed  a 
very  light  colored  skin,  with  the  result  that  many  duck  growers 
have  lessened  the  quantity  of  corn  as  the  fattening  term  grew 
near  its  end,  and  fed  a  large  proportion  of  middlings,  shorts  and 
cheap  grade  flour.  The  wheat  diet  fits  the  ducklings  to  meet 
this  fancy  demand  and  probably  gives  the  birds  a  more  delicate 
flavor.    A   number   of   growers   have    practiced   the   feeding    of 


DUCKS.  g? 

celery  and  cress  to  their  ducks  which  they  are  preparing  for 
market  and  realize  fancy  prices  by  the  extra  flavor  imparted  to 
them  in  this  way.  In  localities  where  much  celery  is  grown, 
the  trimmings  of  tops  from  the  celery  could  be  utilized  in  this 
way  and  would  be  found  valuable  in  imparting  to  them  the  flavor 
for  which  the  wild  canvas  back  is  so  noted,  and  highly  prized. 
One  farmer  told  us  he  had  fed  pepper  grass  to  his  ducklings, 
which  gave  them  a  flavor  much  like  the  cress-fed  ducks. 

Young  ducks  should  not  have  access  to  water  except  for 
drinking,  until  their  entire  plumage  has  been  taken  on.  At 
twelve  weeks  those  that  are  to  be  retained  for  breeding  stock 
may  enjoy  the  brook  or  pond,  but  until  nearly  that  time  they 
grow  better  without  it.  For  the  first  few  days  the  stale  bread 
crumbs  moistened  with  milk  or  water  should  form  the  largest 
part  of  the  duckling's  food,  aside  from  some  short  cut  grass  or 
green  rye.  Later  or  for  the  first  few  weeks,  to  their  mixed  food 
may  be  added,  to  the  stale  bread  or  stale  broken  crackers,  (which 
can  be  bought  of  large  baking  establishments  at  $20  to  $25  per 
ton)  boiled  potatoes,  turnips  or  beets,  ground  grain  foods  such 
as  middlings;  shorts,  cornmeal  and  oatmeal.  A  small  amount  of 
ground  meat  is  a  valuable  addition,  and  ground  shell  food 
should  be  mixed  with  their  food  at  least  once  a  day  in  small 
quantities.  Corn  sown  in  drills  and  when  a  few  inches  to  a  foot 
or  two  high  cut  fine,  will  be  a  valuable  addition  to  the  food, 
either  alone  or  mixed  with  ground  grains.  The  food  should 
never  be  fed  sloppy,  but  just  damp  enough  to  stick  together 
when  pressed  in  the  hand;  it  should  be  given  In  clean  troughs 
and  clean  water  should  be  close  to  the  feeding  troughs.  Some 
growers  construct  the  troughs  so  that  the  feed  and  water  are 
side  by  side  and  the  birds  have  but  to  reach  from  one  to  the 
other^lt  is  a  good  plan  for  ducks. 

The  ration  should  be  studied  to  give  the  young  stock  plenty 
of  bone  and  muscle-forming  foods.  Too  much  fat-forming  food 
at  the  start  often  results  in  weakness  of  the  legs  or  of  the  or- 
gans, and  sometimes  causes  so  much  heat  as  to  result  in  bowel 
trouble,  though  ducks  as  a  rule  are  very  free  from  this  last  diffi- 
culty. Oatmeal  is  one  of  the  best  flesh  and  bone  forming  foods. 
Avoid  feeding  a  large  proportion  of  cornmeal  until  the  seventh  or 
eighth  week,  increasing  it  only  as  the  marketing  age  approaches, 
when  the  meat  meal  and  cornmeal  will  help  to  fatten.  Lessen 
the  green  food  at  the  last  week,  and  increase  the  meat  meals  if 
the  best  flavored  flesh  is  desired. 

The  types  of  Pekins  most  desired  are  those  showing  as  near 
as  possible  the  same  depth  and  girth  from  breast  to  stern;  look 
for  those  showing  quantity  of  breast,  a  long  deep  keel  bone  well 
meated,  giving  the  breast  a  rounded  plump  appearance,  and 
when  handled,  to  be  found  carrying  an  abundant  supply  of  firm 
flesh,  good  stout  thighs  set  very  broad  apart,  good  sized  feet 
with  straight  firm  toes.     The  head  should  be  of  good  character, 


S8  POULTRY  MANtJAL. 

neatly  chiseled  where  the  beak  joins  it,  well  rounded  cheeks  not 
wrinkled  about  the  throat  with  a  goose-like  dewlap,  good,  bright, 
wide-open  eyes — deep  set,  heavy  browed  eyes  are  rather  indica- 
tive of  a  dull  sluggish  nature  in  ducks.  What  you  want  for  a 
money  making  duck  is  one  that  gets  up  and  goes  a  hustling 
about  for  its  living. 

All  Pekins  should  stand  high  in  front,  and  low  behind,  but 
do  not  mistake  a  duck  that  is  over-fat  and  heavy  behind  for  a 
good  Pekin;  an  elongated  pear-shaped  body,  little  in  front  and 
heavy  in  the  stern,  where  the  heaviness  is  made  by  abnormally 
large  entrails,  is  not  to  be  desired  by  either  a  fancier  or  market 
duck  man.  The  weight  should  be  influenced  by  a  well  developed 
breast,  then  when  the  bird  comes  to  the  table  its  value  can  be 
appreciated. 

Other  Varieties  of  Ducks. 

Following  the  Pekin  the  Aylesbury,  Rouen,  Cayuga  and 
White  and  Colored  Muscovys  are  the  m_ost  popular  and  there- 
fore the  most  widely  bred.  Their  popularity  is  due  mainly  to 
their  practical  qualities,  as  is  the  case  with  the  Pekin. 

The  Aylesbury,  Rouen  and  Cayuga  varieties  are,  like  the 
Pekin,  large,  long,  deep  and  full  in  body  and  breast.  The  Mus- 
covys are  equally  large  and  have  long,  broad  and  deep  bodies. 
Their  wings  are  more  fully  developed  than  those  of  the  other 
large  varieties,  sufficiently  so  that  they  are  able  to  fly.  Also 
unlike  other  varieties  they  can  roost  on  fences  and  in  trees. 
The  Aylesburys  are  pure  white  in  color  of  plumage  as  distin- 
guished from  the  Pekins  which  are  required  to  have  creamy 
white  feathers.  The  Rouens  carry  much  the  same  color  as  the 
Wild  Mallard  but  have  more  beautiful  markings  even,  especially 
in  the  plumage  of  the  female  which  suggests  the  coloring  of 
the  Partridge  Cochin  hen. 

The  Cayugas  are  black.  The  plumage  of  the  Colored  Mus- 
covy is  black,  broken  occasionally  with  white,  those  with  less 
white  being  preferred.  Both  varieties  have  faces  and  sides  of 
heads  heavily  carunculated  and  on  their  heads  a  sort  of  crest- 
like formation  of  feathers  which  lies  down  smoothly  when  the 
duck  is  in  repose  but  which  raises  when  it  is  disturbed. 

A  handsome  duck  is  the  Blue  Swedish,  which  is  of  a  bluish 
color,  somewhat  resembling  the  Blue  Andalusian  fowl  but  often 
marked  with  white,  usually  on  the  breast  and  occasionally  un- 
der the  wings,  toward  the  tail,  and  on  the  lower  body.  White 
Crested  White  ducks  are  pure  white  throughout  with  crests  of 
soft  feathers  growing  on  their  heads. 

Some  years  ago  the  Indian  Runners  were  heralded  as  rivals 
of  the  Pekins  as  general  purpose  and  market  ducks.  They  were 
taken  up  by  a  number  of  well-known  duck  growers  but  were  not 


DUCKS. 


89 


found  satisfactory  for  the  purpose.  They  are  much  smaller  than 
the  Pekins,  the  Standard  calling  for  a  weight  of  only  four  and 
a  half  pounds  in  the  drake  and  four  pounds  in  the  duck.  They 
are,  however,  excellent  layers,  probably  the  best  of  the  duck 
family.  In  color  they  are  white  on  the  upper  part  of  neck,  lower 
part  of  body  and  points  of  wings.  In  other  sections  they  are  a 
light  fawn  color  approaching  gray. 

The  smallest  of  Standard  ducks  are  the  White  and  Gray 
Call  and  East  India,  these  bearing  the  same  relation  to  ducks  as 
do  bantams  to  fowls. 


A  Prize  Winning  Toulouse  Gander. 


.^\'\  V; 


v,V^ 


0'Sy 


A  Pair  of  Excellent  Embden  Geese. 


BREEDS  OF  GEESE 

Their  Value  for  Utility  Purposes — The  Leading  Varieties. 

All  of  the  Standard  varieties  of  geese,  (Toulouse,  Embden, 
African,  Chinese,  Canadian  and  Egyptian),  were  originated  in 
foreign  countries,  though  they  have  received  much  benefit  from 
the  handling  of  American  breeders.  They  are  usually  profitable 
for  utility  purposes.  They  live  and  remain  useful  as  breeders 
until  from  twelve  to  twenty  years  old  and  instances  are  on  rec- 
ord where  they  have  bred  for  twenty-seven  consecutive  seasons. 
They  require  new  blood  far  less  frequently  than  do  domestic 
fowls  and  turkeys.  One  of  the  earliest  breeders  of  Embden 
geese  is  authority  for  the  statement  that  a  flock  which  originated 
from  six  imported  birds  were  kept  for  fifty  years  without  add- 
ing new  blood  and  without  any  depreciation  of  the  value  of  their 
characteristics. 

Geese  are  becoming  more  and  more  in  demand  for  their  flesh 
and  goose-fattening  establishments,  where  geese  are  collected 
from  the  farmers  and  fattened  for  market,  are  becoming  numer- 
ous throughout  the  country,  though  more  particularly  in  the 
east.  Very  few  of  their  eggs  are  marketed  for  table  use  for,  were 
there  no  other  reasons,  they  are  much  too  valuable  for  hatch- 
ing. Their  soft  feathers  and  down  sell  for  high  prices  and  some 
goose  raisers  claim  to  make  the  greatest  profit  from  the  plumage. 

The  most  popular  variety  in  America  is  the  Toulouse  which 
is  claimed  to  have  originated  in  France  but  which  certainly  was 
bred  to  its  present  color  and  form  in  England,  and  from  that 
country  came  to  America.  The  second  in  popularity  are  the 
Embdens,  pure  white  geese,  which  were  earlier  called  Bremen 
geese,  so  named  from  a  city  of  Germany.  The  next  in  order  are 
the  Africans  and  they  are  called  by  that  name  only  in  America. 
In  England  they  are  not  favored  with  classes  at  the  shows  but 
compete  in  the  same  division  as  the  Chinese  geese.  Some  au- 
thorities claim  that  they  are  often  confounded  with  off-colored 
Brown  Chinas  and  perhaps  some  of  the  latter  are  occasionally 
sold  as  Africans  to  the  uninitiated.  As  a  matter  of  fact  the 
true  African  is  a  much  heavier  built  bird  with  a  larger,  coarser 
head  and  heavier  neck.  Its  back,  too,  should  be  flat  while  that 
of  the  China  should  curve  slightly  upward  toward  the  neck 
and  tail. 

These  three  varieties,  Toulouse,  Embden  and  Africans,  are 
the  heavy  weights  of  the  goose  kingdom.  The  Chinese,  of 
which  there  are  two  varieties.  Brown  and  White,  are  much  small- 


92 


POULTRY   MANUAL. 


-^    -Ti  '  ^ 


A  Young  African  Gander. 


er  than  those  we  have  described  and  extra  weight  in  those  varie- 
ties is  not  desired.  They  are  claimed  to  be  the  best  layers 
among  geese  and  quite  considerable  egg  records  are  claimed  by 
some  breeders  of  the  white  variety.  The  Canadian,  or  wild, 
geese  have  been  domesticated  in  small  numbers  and  are  very 
handsome  geese.     They  are  not  bred  to  any  considerable  extent 


CONDITIONING   FOR  EXHIBITION.  93 

for  practical  purposes  though  are  occasionally  used  in  crosses 
with  Toulouse  or  Africans  to  produce  market  geese. 

Egyptian  geese,  although  of  rather  attractive  color,  are  not 
bred  to  any  extent.  They  are  the  smallest  of  geese  according 
to  Standard  requirements  for  weight. 


CONDITIONING  FOR  EXHIBITION 


A  Plain  and  Complete  Description  of  Common  Sense  Methods 
of  Developing,  Fitting  and  Showing. 


Successful  showing  consists  of  two  things,  having  the  qual- 
ity and  showing  it  properly.  The  gardener  who  raises  roses  for 
the  market  strives  to  place  them  on  the  market  when  they  bring 
the  greatest  price.  The  man  who  raises  broilers  for  a  living 
times  his  product  for  the  highest  market.  It  is  the  exhibitor's 
business  to  time  his  birds  for  the  exhibition  just  as  the  gardener 
and  market  poultrymen  time  their  products  to  be  at  their  best 
at  the  most  advantageous  season. 

The  phrase  "Every  dog  has  his  day,"  will  never  be  applied 
to  anything  more  forcefully  than  to  exhibition  poultry;  the  bird 
that  was  a  "Never  Beaten"  last  week  is  a  "Has  Been"  this,  and 
we  see  it  time  and  time  again.  It  is  best  then  to  estimate  the 
time  when  your  birds  will  be  ripe  by  your  experience  of  years 
previous,  as  the  growing  proclivities  of  two  strains  are  seldom 
the  same.  Remember  the  progress  and  development  of  your 
birds  last  year,  with  reference  to  set  dates  during  the  season. 
If  your  memory  fails  you,  keep  notes. 

Condition  is  All-Important. 

Condition  is  the  all-important,  overshadowing  essential  to 
a  winning  bird,  and  without  approximately  perfect  condition  it 
will  seldom  win  in  close  competition.  With  some  varieties,  the 
relative  places  on  the  award  list  are  but  expressions  of  the 
degrees  of  perfection  of  condition  in  the  specimens  shown.  Most 
prominent  of  these  varieties  that"  depend  largely  upon  condition 
to  win  are  all  black  and  all  white  varieties,  Brown  Leghorn 
males,  and  many  varieties  of  game  and  ornamental  bantams. 
Some  will  object  to  this  statement  as  too  broad  and  certainly 
condition  with  nothing  back  of  it  will  never  win;  but  just  as 
certainly,  will  perfect  condition  cover  many  defects  and  enable 
a  bird  of  average  exhibtion  quality  to  win  over  one  naturally 
superior. 

What  then,  does  condition  mean?  What  does  the  word  em- 
brace?    Many  things  and  various  things.     In  Cochins,  it  means 


94  POULTRY  MANUAL. 

the  proper  fluffy  effect  or  looseness  of  feather.  In  games,  it 
means  hardness  of  feather.  In  all  varieties,  the  necessary 
weight,  the  health  and  vigor  that  gives  a  bright  eye,  glowing 
face,  slick  appearance  and  gloss  of  plumage.  Correct  shape  and 
poise  in  the  exhibition  coop  are  largely  matters  of  condition. 

In  acquiring  good  or  perfect  condition,  two  principles  are 
involved. 

The  Winning  Quality  is  Hereditary. 

The  first  principle  is  heredity.  You  have  often  observed,  if 
you  are  an  exhibitor,  that  some  birds  condition  easily,  while 
it  is  almost  impossible  to  make  others  acquire  the  smoothness 
of  feather  and  the  style  or  poise  that  gives  them  the  winning 
quality. 

Both  of  these  characteristics  are  hereditary  in  fowls  just  as 
much  as  good  combs,  strong  under-color  or  straight  barring.  I 
would  reject  a  Barred  Plymouth  male  that  lacked  a  certain 
amount  of  style  just  as  quickly  as  one  that  failed  in  under-color. 
And  I  would  not  consider  seriously  a  Brown  Leghorn  male  that 
did  not  possess  the  attribute  of  smoothness  of  feather  as  a  can- 
didate for  one  of  our  breeding  yards.  So  much  for  condition 
and  heredity.  Do  not  take  my  word  for  anything,  but  make  care- 
ful observations  if  you  wish  to  develop  a  line  of  winners.  Good 
showing  qualities  and  aptness  for  good  condition  are  just  as 
surely  transmitted  from  generation  to  generation  as  any  charac- 
teristics of  the  species. 

Fresh  Plumaged  Birds  Win. 

The  second  principle  involves  the  science  or  art  (I  might 
say  knack)  of  properly  rearing  a  bird  and  timing  it  for  the 
exhibition. 

Young  birds  that  have  just  attained  maturity  are  fresh  and 
bright  in  plumage  and  fresh  and  bright  birds  are  the  ones  that 
usually  win.  This  necessitates  quick  growth  and  that  calls 
for  free  range,  and  judicious  feeding.  This  is  the  problem  then 
to  solve:  How  are  some  birds  to  be  pushed  forward  and  some 
held  back,  so  that  the  entire  string  may  be  shown  in  uniformly 
perfect  condition? 

Right  here  is  where  I  shall  prove  disappointing.  I  know  of 
no  magic  that  will  mature  the*  immature  or  freshen  the  fading 
colors  of  those  that  are  past  prime.  There  are  a  few  who  cling 
to  the  idea  that  there  are  sublime  methods  for  accomplishing 
anything.  There  are  a  few  who  believe  that  winning  specimens 
are  made  so  by  occult  means.  Were  we  to  find  some  agent 
which  would  effect  such  a  marvelous  transformation  in  our 
flocks,  we  should  have  accomplished  no  less  than  the  alchemists 
of  old  undertook  when  they  sought  to  find  the  Philosopher's 
stone,  a  re-agent  that  would  form  a  panacea  as  well  as  transmute 
the  baser  metals  into  gold.     As  well  dream  the  dreams  of  the 


CONDITIONING    FOR    EXHIBITION.  95 

old  alchemists  as  to  expect  to  make  winning  show  birds  by  any 
except  the  most  thorough  process  of  nature. 

The  Pleasing  Bird  Has  an  Advantage. 

The  question  naturally  arises,  "what  is  a  winning  bird?" 
The  answer  would  seem  to  be  one  that  most  nearly  meets  tne 
requirements  of  the  Standard  of  Perfection.  But  is  it?  I  am 
afraid  it  is  not  always,  even  with  the  most  conscientious  and 
keenest  judges.  There  is  in  some  birds  a  certain  quality  tnat 
is  very  hard  to  describe  unless  we  limit  that  description  to  one 
word  and  call  it  "catchy"  quality,  or  a  "pleasing  bird"  as  it  is  ex- 
pressed by  the  more  refined  exponents  of  the  craft. 

Under  our  present  more  of  comparison  judging,  and  this 
mode  has  its  advantages  as  well  as  its'  drawbacks,  the  order 
seems  to  be  that  the  catchy  or  pleasing  specimens  are  picked 
out  and  then  examined  for  defects  according  to  the  judges'  in- 
terpretation of  the  Standard.  Under  this  method  the  bird  in 
poor  condition  and  the  one  that  has  not  catchy  qualities  fare 
alike,  being  passed  by,  while  the  pleasing  bird,  if  he  has  no  glar- 
ing faults,  has  a  good  chance  to  win. 

Too  Close  Cooping  Spoils  the  Bird. 

There  are  several  methods  for  fitting  for  the  show  room  or 
more  or  less  merit.  The  best  is  to  let  the  bird  fit  himself;  ttie 
poorest,  and  that  which  is  more  generally  used,  consists  in  con- 
fining the  bird  to  an  exhibition  coop  two  and  one-half  or  three 
feet  square  and  either  starving  him  or  stuffing  him  as  the  fancy 
of  the  owner  dictates.  In  these  quarters,  this  bird  has  the 
pleasure  of  moping  around  for  two  or  three  weeks.  He  has  a 
clean  coop,  and  perhaps  plenty  of  the  best  of  food,  a  nice  DrigJit 
tin  cup  to  drink  out  of,  but  after  all  that  has  been  done,  tnis 
bird  is  being  subjected  to  the  most  unnatural  life  that  a  fowl 
could  live.  If  the  coop  is  kept  clean,  the  bird  is  also  clean,  Dut 
his  appetite  soon  diminishes,  his  digestion  is  soon  disordered, 
his  feathers  soon  become  rough  and  his  head  loses  color.  Tfie 
bird  deteriorates  from  the  moment  that  he  is  put  in  the  coop. 
The  only  advantage  is  that  you  have  a  tame  bird.  Unless  he  is 
endowed  with  an  unusual  amount  of  vitality,  he  soon  becomes 
so  lifeless  and  docile  that  he  should  not  even,  in  may  cases,  be 
admitted  to  classification  in  the  gallinaceous  division.  Of  all 
the  idiotic  methods  that  I  have  seen  poultrymen  employ,  this 
strikes  me  as  the  most  stupid  and  foolish. 

Range  the  Best  Conditioner. 

Those  of  you  who  have  exhibited  at  the  early  winter  snows, 
say  the  early  part  of  December  or  the  latter  part  of  November, 
may  have  been  favored  by  one  of  our  occasional  warm  falls, 
when  the  weather  permitted  you  to  keep  the  birds  out  in  ttie 
summer  runs.  Under  these  circumstances  you  probably  put 
into  the  shows  the  best  conditioned  birds  you  have  ever  shown. 


96  POULTRY  MANUAL. 

If  such  is  not  your  experience,  it  is  mine.  It  is,  therefore,  my 
aim  to  afford  the  candidates  for  show  honors  as  near  natural 
conditions  as  the  usual  severe  weather  and  several  feet  of  snow 
will  permit.  The  best  advantage  that  a  bird  can  have  is,  of 
course,  range.  Under  the  conditions  mentioned,  range  is  out  of 
the  question.  How  then  can  we  give  them  a  substitute?  By  af- 
fording a  chance  for  exercise  and  compelling  him  to  exercise  if 
he  is  not  so  inclined,  and  by  supplying  him  those  things  tnat 
confinement  and  the  season  of  the  year  rob  him  of.  Added  to 
these,  there  are  some  artificial  methods  that  are  simple  ana 
harmless  that  we  shall  speak  of  later.  • 

Food  and  Exercise. 

Take  the  case  of*a  fairly  mature  bird.  He  should  have  a 
pen  to  himself.  The  larger  the  better,  but  one  eight-by-nine  will 
answer  for  most  birds.  The  floor  should  be  dry,  clean  sand, 
covered  with  a  litter  of  dry  straw.  The  straw  need  not  be  cut, 
as  the  bird,  if  he  is  properly  trained,  will  break  it  up  in  a 
short  while.  This  litter  should  be  from  two  to  four  incnes 
deep,  varying  with  the  size  of  the  bird.  The  larger  the  bird  the 
deeper  the  litter.  In  the  morning  throw  in  a  small  handful  of 
scratch  feed,  scattering  it  well.  In  an  hour  or  so,  give  him  some 
warm  mash,  but  do  not  allow  him  to  stuff  with  it.  A  heaping 
teaspoonful  or  two  is  about  the  right  quantity,  but  unless  he 
eats  this  eagerly  and  rapidly,  it  is  too  much.  An  hour  or  two 
later  throw  him  more  scratch  feed  and  put  him  to  work  again. 
If  the  bird  is  immature  and  you  wish  to  force  him  a  little,  feed 
him  another  mash  at  noon.  An  hour  later  a  few  kernels  of  small 
grain  will  keep  him  busy,  while  at  night  he  should  have  a  good 
square  n^eal  of  good  grain. 

Green  food,  he  should  have  a  little  of  and  but  a  little.  Urlt 
and  oyster  shells  he  should  have  in  abundance  at  all  times. 

A  Good  Mash  Makes  Flesh. 

A  mash  helps  the  bird  to  flesh  up,  but  much  of  it  is  too 
heavy  in  his  crop  and  makes  the  bird  logy  and  he  refuses  to 
exercise;  consequently  he  will  not  eat  as  much  nor  can  his  sys- 
tem assimilate  as  much.  This  mash  may  be  made  in  several 
ways.  Corn  meal  and  bran  may  be  mixed  with  a  very  small 
quantity  of  wheat  flour  middlings  in  such  a  proportion  that  tbe 
mash  is  a  substantial  but  not  a  sticky  mass.  It  should  be  mixed 
with  boiling  water,  merely  hot  water  does  not  do.  It  must  cook 
to  get  the  desired  effect.  To  that  end  it  should  be  packed  close- 
ly together  and  covered  for  a  time.  After  standing  for  half  an 
hour,  uncover  and  stir.  Allow  it  to  cool  until  it  is  warm  but 
not  hot;  then  you  have  food  for  a  meal  that  the  fowls  will  rel- 
ish. Other  ingredients  make  good  mashes  and  I  like  the  mixture 
of  ground  oats  and  corn  meal  commonly  called  provender. 

For  scratch  food,  any  of  the  small  grains  will  do.    Oats  are 


CONDITIONING  FOR  EXHIBITION.  97 

good,  so  is  wheat  if  you  are  not  using  it  for  a  night  feed.  But 
above  all  I  prefer  the  prepared  scratch  feeds,  if  they  are  made 
of  good  grain,  for  two  reasons;  first  the  variety  and  second,  for 
the  fact  that  the  grains  are  cracked  into  small  pieces  which 
make  the  fowls  do  the  maximum  amount  of  work  for  the  mini- 
mum amount  of  food. 

For  the  final  feed  at  night,  nothing  compares  with  white 
wheat  of  the  best  quality.  This  is  the  main  food  but  may  be  al- 
ternated with  barley  with  good  results.  For  fowls  that  are  in- 
clined to  get  too  fat  barley  is  preferable  to  wheat. 

Feeding  White  Birds. 

By  white  birds,  I  refer  to  those  that  have  white  in  their 
plumage,  not  necessarily  only  the  solid  white  varieties.  Barred 
Rocks  and  Silver  Spangled  Hamburgs,  for  instance,  should  be 
fed  precisely  as  pure  white  birds  are. 

It  is  a  generally  recognized  principle  that  the  pearl  white 
color  cannot  be  obtained  in  its  clearness  and  purity  when  al- 
lowing these  white  birds  oily  foods.  Therefore,  yellow  corn, 
scraps,  meat  fats  are  excluded  from  their  diet.  Those  who  wish 
to  feed  meat  and  are  still  very  cautious,  may  boil  fresh  beef, 
allow  the  liquor  to  stand  and  cool,  when  the  fat  may  be  skimmed 
off.  The  meat  and  broth  may  be  stirred  into  the  mash.  Try 
this  with  your  cut  green  bone  and  you  will  find  an  amount  of 
fat  that  will  surprise  you. 

Foods  That  Develop  Gloss. 

For  the  class  which  requires  a  gloss,  the  fats  and  oils  are 
a  great  help  if  not  an  absolute  necessity  in  getting  good  condi- 
tion. The  best  foods  for  gloss  are  corn,  buckwheat,  sunflower 
seed,  beef-scraps  and  suet  or  beef  tallow.  These  cannot  be  used 
in  quantity  or  as  staple  foods,  as  they  "age"  the  plumage  if  giv- 
en to  excess.  Many  exhibitors  are  so  situated  that  they  cannot 
attend  their  fowls  during  the  day.  I  believe  that  the  best  meth- 
od they  can  pursue  is  to  feed  the  mash  late  in  the  afternoon 
and  in  the  morning  give  the  birds  grain  to  scratch  for  during 
the  day.  A  cabbage  may  be  hung  so  high  that  they  will  jump 
a  little  to  reach  it. 

Taming  the  Show  Bird. 

A  show  bird  should  be  tamed  so  tiiat  it  does  not  become 
frightened  when  handled.  The  advantage  that  a  bird  that  will 
pose  while  the  judge  is  in  front  of  the  coop  and  handling  it,  has 
over  the  one  that  gets  all  out  of  shape  the  moment  the  judge 
touches  it,  is  obvious.  While  continuous  cooping  of  any  fowl 
is  a  crime  against  good  sense  and  good  condition,  a  half  hour  a 
day  is  necessary  for  all  candidates  for  show  honors.  The  bird 
will  become  tame  quickly  by  offering  tid-bits  such  as  meat  and 
kernels  of  whole  corn  from  the  hand.  By  stroking  with  the  hand 
the  bird  can  be  taught  the  correct  poise  for  the  show  coop. 


98  POULTRY  MANUAL. 

In  these  days  of  strong  competition  an  unwashed  white 
bird  is  practically  debarred  from  winning.  An  unwashed  bird, 
be  it  ever  so  white,  looks  very  cheap  beside  a  well  washed  one 
of  much  less  good  natural  color.  This  is  a  branch  of  the  indus- 
try in  which  a  certain  few  have  become  so  proficient  that  it  is 
practically  impossible  for  anyone  not  an  expert  in  this  line  to 
defeat  them.  There  are  many  soaps  and  preparations  used  for 
washing  white  fowls  but  Ivory  soap  and  soap-bark  are  the  most 
generally  used.  The  best  washers  thoroughly  lather  the  birds 
to  the  hide  and  use  two  rinse  waters.  The  last  water  contains 
a  very  little  blueing.  This  will  show  in  the  feathers  if  too 
much  is  used  and  beginners  are  almost  sure  to  use  too  much. 
If  not  thoroughly  rinsed,  so  that  all  the  soap  water  is  removed, 
th©  feathers  will  curl  and  crinkle. 

In  late  years  much  is  hinted  at  concerning  the  use  of  bleach- 
ing agents  that  bleach  a  creamy  or  yellow  bird,  otherwise  fine, 
so  that  it  becomes  a  winner.  No  doubt  hydrogen  peroxide,  the 
active  agent  of  which  is  a  free  atom  of  oxygen,  is  used  to  a 
certain  extent.  So  is  ammonia  and  other  cleaning  agents.  Their 
value  lies  more  in  their  power  to  remove  stains  and  dirt  than 
in  any  real  bleaching  process  that  takes  place. 

The  most  effective  method  of  whitening  a  bird  is  to  repeat 
the  washings.  Persistency  in  this  counts  as  in  everything  else. 
The  best  treatment  for  the  comb,  face  and  wattles  of  a  perfect- 
ly healthy  bird  is  to  wash  in  soap  and  water,  dry  and  let  alone. 
When  the  face  does  not  show  good  color,  massage  and  treat 
with  a  very  small  amount  of  vaseline.  To  keep  the  color  in  the 
face,  repeat  the  massage.  This  treatment  is  simple  and  will 
bring  more  color  than  would  be  supposed.  There  are  many  lo- 
tions and  drawing,  burning  liquids  that  are  applied,  but  they 
are  all  at  best  but  temporarily  efficient.  A  short  while  after 
the  application  the  head  possesses  less  color  than  before. 

The  first  thing  to  do  is  to  see  that  there  is  plenty  of  saw- 
dust or  whatever  bedding  is  used,  in  the  coop,  so  that  the  bird 
may  stand  properly.  Nature  gave  the  bird  toe  nails  in  order  that 
it  could  scratch  for  the  early  worm.  Their  nails  are  curved 
downward  and  the  curved  ends  were  intended  to  go  down  into 
the  earth.  When  there  is  no  substance  that  these  nails  can 
penetrate  under  its  feet,  the  curvature  in  the  nails  prevents  the 
specimen  from  straightening  up  or  standing  naturally.  The  next 
thing  is  to  clean,  and  if  possible  to  scald,  the  drinking  and 
feed  cups.     This  often  eliminates  danger  from  roup  and  canker. 

Feeding  the  bird  counts  for  much  in  the  shape  sections. 
The  proper  amount  of  food  in  the  crop  at  the  time  of  judging 
means  credit  for  better  breast  shape;  too  much  means  a  bird 
without  life  or  style.  As  a  rule  the  bird  should  not  be  tamper- 
ed with  for  an  hour  before  judging.  He  should  be  allowed  to 
become  "his  natural  self;"  unless  he  does  so  he  is  at  a  disad- 
vantage. 


PART  TWO 

The  second  part  of  this  book 
is  devoted  to  practical  poultry  cul- 
ture, or  the  production  of  table 
poultry  and  eggs,  for  market  or  for 
home  consumption.  It  treats  of  the 
laws  of  practical  breeding,  housing, 
foods  and  feeding,  destruction  of 
lice  and  vermin,  diseases  with  their 
causes,  symptons  and  cures,  poul- 
try on  the  farm  and  kindred  sub- 
jects. The  subject  matter  is  by 
Ida  E.  Tilson,  well  known  as  a  suc- 
cessful poultry  keeper,  student  of 
poultry  culture  and  lecturer. 


PRACTICAL  LAWS  OF  BREEDING 


Heredity  and  Prepotency — Crossing  and  Crosses— Grades- 
How  to  Select  the  Profitable  Fowl. 


Like  produces  like.  Both  original  and  acquired  characters 
tend  to  be  inherited. 

Two  birds  of  like  desirable  qualities,  mated  together,  give 
their  progeny  a  double  tendency  to  develop  those  qualities. 

The  oftener  and  longer  such  qualities  are  transmitted,  the 
greater  becomes  their  prepotency  or  predominance  over  all  else. 

While  inbreeding  fixes  quality,  it  impairs  vigor,  hence  should 
be  ventured  only  with  fowls  of  uncommon  merit,  and  for  a 
limited  time. 

Without  continuing  the  same  conditions  of  food,  shelter  and 
care  which  first  made  them  possible,  even  inbred  characteristics 
cannot  altogether  be  retained. 

A  first  cross  of  unrelated  and  superior  stock  best  secures 
size,  vigor  and  endurance. 

A  first  class  fowl  generally  derives  its  condition  and  size 
from  the  mother,  and  its  quality  from  the  sire. 

Pullets  generally  follow  color  and  shape  of  the  cock  used, 
while  cockerels  are  more  like  the  hen. 

Large  roosters  crossed  with  smaller  hens,  give  "leggy" 
chickens.  Small  roosters  with  large  hens  cause  a  fine,  compact 
shape. 

Fowls  without  some  maturity  themselves  cannot  perfect 
their  offspring,  hence  a  mature  male  is  better  with  pullets,  and 
hens  with  a  young  male. 

Nature's  law  of  good  breeding  is  rigorous  selection.  Drought, 
famine,  flood,  frost  and  enemies  permit  only  "the  survival  of 
the  fittest."  By  other  means  we  must  likewise  "weed  out"  all 
fowls  deficient  in  constitution  and  energy. 

A  strain,  according  to  the  "Standard,"  is  a  "race  of  fowls 
that  has  been  carefully  bred,  for  a  number  of  years,  by  one 
breeder,  or  his  successor,  and  has  acquired  an  Individual  char- 
acter of  its  own." 

Crosses  and  Results. 

Sam'l  Cushman  exhibited  a  number  of  cross-bred  carcasses 
at  Eastern  Pairs.  He  says  "'marketmen,  veteran  breeders,  and 
poultry  judges  unanimously  pronounced  the  Cornish  Indian  and 


102  POULTRY  MANUAL. 

Light  Brahma  cross  pullet  the  finest  carcass.  The  finest  cock- 
erel was  also  of  that  cross.  The  White  Wyandotte  and  Indian 
pullet  was  pronounced  second  best  by  most.  An  Indian  and 
Golden  Wyandotte  cockerel  was  considered  second  best  cockerel. 
It  was  found  that  Indians  and  their  crosses  were  harder  to  pluck 
and  more  difficult  to  caponize  than  any  other  of  the  crosses." 

This  same  Indian  apparently  does  not  rank  so  high  for  early 
maturity,  hardiness  and  laying,  as  when  first  imported,  hence 
promises  more  improvement  to  adult  carcasses  than  to  broilers 
and  laying  stock. 

A  cross  of  White  Wyandotte  male  on  Light  Brahmas  gives 
a  fowl  which,  for  both  eggs  and  market  purposes,  is  not  easily 
surpassed.  A  White  Plymouth  Rock  with  those  Brahmas  would 
secure  no  more  eggs,  and  not  so  blocky  a  body.  A  White  Leg- 
horn, Light  Brahma  cross  ^ould  produce  more  eggs  and  nearly 
as  fine  meat.     Brahma  crosses  are  easy  to  caponize. 

A  White  Leghorn,  Barred  Plym.outh  Rock  cross  has  been  my 
favorite  many  years,  and  is  difficult  to  beat  in  early  maturity 
and  egg  production.  Leghorns  with  Cochins,  Brahmas,  or  Wy- 
andottes,  produced  for  me  "general  purpose"  fowls,  but  I  see 
much  risk  and  no  advantage  in  crossing  equally  fine  but  very  dis- 
similar laying  breeds,  like  Leghorns  and  Hamburgs,  or  Leg- 
horns and  Minorcas,  nor  in  mixing  breeds  already  satisfactory 
for  "general  purpose,"  like  Plymouth  Rocks  and  Wyandottes. 

Cross-bred  chickens  survive  more  generally,  and  come  fast- 
er to  maturity,  hence  excel  as  broilers.  Cross-bred  fowls,  on  ac- 
count of  their  hardiness,  lay  earlier  and  oftener  than  pure  fowls 
not  noted  as  layers,  but  do  not  prove  more  prolific  than  full 
bloods  bred  for  laying  qualities.  A  second  cross  has  a  mixture 
on  each  side,  hence  no  one  can  certainly  predict  results.  A 
"crazy  quilt,"  unsalable  flock  follows. 

Since    a    first    cross    demands    considerable    annual    outlay 


Colony  Houses   in    tlie  orchard   on  a    Fruit    and   Poultry    Farm. 


CROSSES  AND  RESULTS 


103 


A  Suburban  Poultry  Plant  with  Berry  Bushes  and  Garden  in 
the  Foreground. 


for  new  fowls  or  eggs,  I  advise  farmers  and  amateurs  to  reserve 
the  best  of  their  present  pullets,  choose  a  rooster  of  any  breed 
they  prefer,  and  thereafter,  each  season,  or  at  least  second  sea- 
son, buy  others  of  his  same  kind,  and  thus,  in  a  few  years,  build 
up  a  high  grade  flock,  practically  full  blood,  so  far  as  results  go, 
though,  of  course,  not  thoroughbred  nor  fit  for  sale  of  settings. 
Its  original  foundation  of  common  or  mixed  stock,  suited  to  that 
farm,  its  care  and  conditions,  often  produces  more  satisfaction 
than  a  full  blooded  flock  transported  there  bodily  at  first. 

Shape  and  What  it  Indicates. 

Shape  makes  a  breed,  color  a  variety  of  a  breed.  Every 
breed  has  an  ideal  shape,  peculiar  to  that  breed  alone  and  in- 
dependent of  color.  A  Buff  or  White  Plymouth  Rock,  first  of 
all,  should  be  shaped  like  a  typical  Barred  Rock,  or  else  not 
claim  the  name.  A  White,  Black,  Buff  or  Golden  Wyandotte 
must  have  the  shape  of  a  typical  Silver  Wyandotte,  or  else  not 
claim  relationship.  Hence  form,  less  easily  described  and  recog- 
nized than  color,  should  be  especially  studied. 

The  shape  of  good  layers  is  best  seen  when  looking  down 
upon  a  feeding  or  resting  hen.  Good  breast  development  means 
use  of  wings  and  activity.  Breadth  of  body  through  shoulders, 
measured  across  at  bottom  of  hackle,  proves  ample  respiratory 
and  digestive  organs.  A  body  of  fair  length  gives  form  for  re- 
production. This  must  not  be  confounded  with  length  of  back, 
because  the  position  of  tail  and  size  of  hackle  often  put  short 


104  POLUTRY  MANUAL. 

backs  on  fair  bodied  fowls,  like  Leghorns  and  Langshans.  A 
triangular  body,  apex  at  rear,  well  tucked  up  behind,  provides 
no  attachment  for  fat  where  hens  naturally  lay  it  on.  Rather 
short  legs,  well  apart,  and  a  firm  carriage,  show  vigor.  A  bright 
eye  and  red,  treraulous  comb  indicate  good  circulation.  These 
signs,  first  learned  by  actual  trial  of  common  hens  and  crosses, 
I  afterwards  saw  covered  the  Standard  requirements  for  shape 
of  those  great  laying  breeds.  Leghorns,  Minorcas,  Red  Caps,  etc. 
Hens  selected  by  both  shape  and  actual  egg  record,  soon 
establish  a  laying  strain,  because  parts  are  developed  by  use,  or 
from  lack  of  use  remain  undeveloped.  If  this  change  of  tend- 
encies is  continued  for  generations,  it  becomes  hereditary. 


POINTS  ON  HOUSING 


Selecting  a  Location — Scratching  Shed  House — Foundations 
and  Constructions — Poultry  House  Fixtures. 


The  first  thing  to  be  considered  in  establishing  poultry  quar- 
ters is  their  location,  which  if  too  far  from  the  dwelling  makes  a 
caretaker  extra  steps,  and  if  too  near  promises  frequent  visits 
from  hens,  hence  dirty  walks  and  lawn.  If  the  quarters  are 
away  from  garden  and  around  an  orchard,  the  fowls  will  range 
over  the  latter  and  destroy  many  injurious  insects.  Prof.  Sturte- 
vant  of  the  State  Experiment  Farm,  Geneva,  N.  Y.,  placed  a 
dozen  hens  in  an  inclosure  of  50  plum  trees.  Only  three  per 
cent  of  the  fruit  was  curculio  stung,  while  all  outside  was  nearly 
ruinod.  Others  report  pood  done  in  peach,  apple  and  orange 
groves.  Biddy's  scratching  and  pulverizing  put  a  manure  heap 
in  fine  shape  for  spreading  over  the  fields,  and  a  barnyard  near 
by,  where  there  will  be  warm  manure  to  work  in,  and  scattered 
grain  to  seek,  belps  out  the  exercise  of  fowls  having  no  scratch- 
ing shed. 

A  sandy  soil  is  best,  as  it  absorbs  moisture  and  dries  off 
quickly,  hence  is  the  only  one  ac  all  hopeful  for  a  "dugout."  A 
slight  elevation  well  drained  on  all  sides,  prevents  standing  wa- 
ter after  rainfall. 

Snow  can  easily  be  shoveled  down  and  away,  while  mak- 
ing winter  paths,  so  drifts  do  not  accumulate  to  make  torrents 
when  they  melt.  My  first  house,  built  upon  a  level  site,  was 
occasionally  damp  enough  for  a  fish,  till  banked  with  earth,  and 
two  ditches  dug  near  with  drain  pipes  put  in.  That  earth  is 
rotting  the  sills,  hence  my  next  house,  by  a  few  loads  of  sand,  a 
scraper  and  team,  was  put  beyond  danger,  and  on  its  artificial 


POINTS  ON  HOUSING.  105 

site  has  been  perfectly  dry.  Dainpness  causes  or  aggravates 
many  diseases,  like  roup,  diarrhea  and  sore  eyes.  Success  with 
a  basement  is  doubtful,  unless  in  such  an  elevation  that  the  bot- 
tom of  basement  is  still  above  level  of  surrounding  land. 

The  more  protection  on  the  north  and  west  the  better, 
whether  by  trees,  straw  stacks  or  other  buildings.  An  ingenious 
young  Minnesotan  who  built  his  hen  house  between  granary  and 
pig  pen,  with  barn  in  its  rear,  seldom  found  the  fowls'  drinking 
water  frozen. 

A  south  exposure  must  be  preserved,  because  scientists  find 
sunshine  one  of  the  best  microbe  killers  and  consumption  cures. 
Dr.  Stalker,  Iowa  State  Veterinarian,  discovered,  on  his  trips 
through  that  state,  those  cattle  stalled  nearest  the  light  in 
basements,  were  freest  from  disease.  When  my  poultry  quar- 
ters were  located,  there  was  a  windmill  tower  south  of  them, 
casting  but  little  shadow,  however.  Over  the  oft  frozen  water- 
tank,  it  later  became  necessary  to  put  a  building  which  shades 
one  hen  house  till  about  nine  o'clock  a.  m„  and  begins  to  shade 
the  other  at  perhaps  three  p.  m.  Whichever  bouse  is  then 
shaded,  according  as  my  observations  on  the  thermometer  are 
at  night  or  in  morning,  is  from  six  degrees  to  twelve  degrees 
colder  than  its  companion,  although  both  houses  at  noon  of  a 
sunny  day,  or  any  time  a  clouded  day,  are  seldom  more  than 
one  degree  apart. 

Comfortable  Houses  Save  Food. 

A  warm  house  lets  more  of  the  food  eaten  go  into  egg 
production.  Many  experiments  at  stations  and  on  private  farms, 
conclusively  prove  that  all  live  stock  can  be  kept  on  a  much 
lighter  ration  during  cold  weather  if  properly  sheltered.  Once 
spend  money  for  a  comfortable  place,  and  you  have  it,  but  a 
cold  house  means  extra  grain  bills  every  winter.  Because  hens 
and  all  other  animals  make  their  bodily  heat  out  of  their  food. 

We  herewith  reproduce  a  plan  of  house  and  shed,  which 
can  be  built  single  or  indefinitely  extended  and  will  give  ex- 
cellent results  for  the  expense.  Total  cost  in  my  own  case  of 
two  separate  houses,  each  with  shed,  was  about  $1.00  for  every 
five  square  feet  of  ground  room. 

The  height  of  houses  illustrated  is  6i^  feet  in  front,  4  feet 
back,  and  each  combined  pen  and  shed  is  designed  for  25  fowls. 
Some  prefer  an  alley  running  along  the  back,  from  which  any 
room  can  be  entered,  instead  of  passing  directly  from  one  to 
another,  but  that  entails  a  wider,  higher,  more  expensive  build- 
ing. 

Manager  Gilbert  of  Ottawa,  Canada,  Experiment  Farm,  sug- 
gests utilizing  a  corner  of  the  barn,  something  I  have  seen  suc- 
cessfully done  in  bleak  locations. 

A  scratching  shed,  or  room,  according  as  the  situation  is 
comfortable  or  exposed,  has  been  provided  for,  it  will  be  seen, 


106  POULTRY  MANUAL. 

in  every  plan  presented,  because  by  trying  houses  both  without 
and  with  scratching  places,  I  have  learned  the  latter's  value. 
However  great  lights  of  poultry  culture  may  differ  on  other 
points,  they  all  commend  the  scratching  shed  plan.  With  our 
cold  climate,  a  house  large  enough  for  fowls  to  exercise  in  days, 
is  too  cold  at  night  when  hens  are  quiet  on  their  perches,  and  a 
house  sufficiently  small  for  comfort  then,  is  too  cramped  day- 
times. It  is  most  satisfactory  to  build  a  snug  roosting-room, 
and  add  a  cheaper  arrangement  for  the  other  uses.  My  first 
shed  was  crotches  and  poles  covered  with  cornstalks,  and  till 
farmers  have  tested  it  they  can  make  a  cheap  protection  main- 
ly of  straw.  No  front  is  needed  except  in  stormy  weather  or 
windy  localities.  Instead  of  wire  or  muslin  doors  there,  as 
shown  by  designs  given,  frames  or  curtains  might  be  arranged 
to  swing  up  inside  of  shed  roof.  Swinging  out,  they  would  be 
exposed  to  weather  and  shut  off  sunshine.  Those  who  have 
used  white  cotton  cloth,  tell  me  it  admits  sufficient  light. 

To  entice  the  fowls  out  and  keep  their  toes  warm,  plenty  of 
litter  under  our  shed,  autumn  leaves,  chaff,  straw,  poor  hay 
or  shavings  will  do.  An  acquaintance  utilized  even  pine  needles. 
Hide  the  grain  fed  in  this  rubbish.  Biddy  is  feminine,  hence 
very  curious,  and  will  search  for  the  last  kernel.  In  front  of 
the  shed  bottom,  a  temporary  fender,  composed  of  a  4-inch  board 
held  upright  by  little  stakes,  keeps  the  litter  from  scattering  and 
wasting. 

The  scratching  hen  is  always  a  laying  hen,  provided  she 
finds  something  to  scratch  for.  I  often  compare  a  fowl's  interior 
to  a  machine  with  its  wheels  connected  by  bands.  Start  one 
wheel,  and  all  are  bound  to  move.  The  muscles  which  attach 
the  thighs  to  trunk  are  very  spreading,  hence  exercise  biddy's 
legs  and  her  egg  machine  will  finally  start.  If  we  give  hens 
nothing  to  do  they  will  do  something,  like  eating  feathers  and 
eggs. 

Size  of  the  House. 

The  size  of  house  and  shed  are  next  to  be  decided.  Former- 
ly, 3  square  feet  of  ground  room  per  fowl  was  called  plenty. 
By  trying  both  that  and  a  larger  allowance,  I  find  4  or  5  square 
feet  none  too  much  for  the  best  results  with  farmers'  fowls. 
Poultry  papers  say  village  birds  need  7  to  10  square  feet  apiece, 
of  shelter,  besides  their  yard.  I  was  once  asked,  at  an  Insti- 
tute, ''Why  not  reckon  by  cubic  feet?"  Air  to  warm  up  does 
not  replace  ground  to  scratch  on  and  get  warm  on.  In  cold 
climates,  fowls  endure  cramped  quarters  better  than  elsewhere, 
and,  especially,  small  roosting  rooms,  but  a  Minnesota  woman 
told  me  her  only  hen  to  lay  one  winter,  which  laid  almost  daily, 
was  a  Brown  Leghorn  that  insisted  on  living  in  the  horse  stable, 
where  there  was  warmth,  room  and  exercise. 


POINTS  ON  HOUSING. 


107 


Foundations  and  Floors. 

A  stone  foundation,  put  down  into  ground  li/^  or  2  feet,  thus 
compelling  rats  and  skunks  to  dig  below  it  and  then  up  again, 
so  misleads  them  that  in  12  years  there  have  been  less  than  a 


6EN£Pn   PERSPECTIVSi 


Back  or  OOOSTINGffOOM.Shon/n^ 


^^/iONrOfSRATCHING  SHEO. 
iSAowmq  Wire  »  Studding. 

Illustrations    Showing    Construction    of    the    Scratching   Pen. 
House   Referred  to   on  Page   105. 


K — \ 

I            V.     ; 

i --:i 

t; :3J' 

rpoNT0^scfi 

ETCHING  SH£0. 
th  Cuftainm 

half  dozen  entrances  effected  to  my  houses,  yet  such  creatures 
are  very  numerous  around.  My  foundations  are  simply  laid 
stone  but  I  recommend  a  finished  job  with  mortar. 

Cement  or  board  floors  are  liked  by  many,  but  are  cold  and 
hard  unless  well  covered  with  sand  and  then  litter,    A  board 


108 


POULTRY  MANUAL. 


floor  must  be  kept  very  clean,  or  its  cracks  will  afford  another 
lurking  place  for  parasites.  If  much  elevated,  a  board  floor  is 
colder;  if  not  raised  high  enough  for  cats  to  follow  the  rats 
under,  it  becomes  a  resort  for  the  latter.  The  site  must  be  pre- 
pared and  graded  for  cement  as  for  earth  floors,  because  I  know 
of  two  dwellings  on  damp  locations,  where  water  filters  through 
sides  and  bottoms  of  their  finely  cemented  cellars.  One  case 
of  rats  digging  through  cement  has  been  reported  to  me.  To 
prevent  this,  some  builders  cover  with  wire  netting,  of  one  inch 
mesh,  the  foundation  and  ground  before  cement  is  applied; 
others  put  four  inches  depth  of  pounded  stone  below. 

I  prefer  the  earth  floor.  Once  at  least,  usually  twice  a  year, 
a  load  of  clean,  dry  sand  is  put  in  each  of  my  hen  houses,  to 
replace  what  is  carried  out  gradually  on  wings,  feet  and  tools. 
Sand  prevents  that  dampness  which  is  such  a  floor's  only  objec- 
tion, and  dampness  is  what  we  are  fighting  against  under  any 
arrangement.  Some  excavate  about  3  feet  of  earth,  put  in  gravel 
to  half  that  depth,  press  down  well,  then  replace  dirt  on  top  well 
packed,  and  thus  secure  a  drained,  dry  bottom. 

In  a  severe  climate,  a  high  house  is  too  cold.    A  Minnesota 


One  of  the  More   Expensive   Types  of  Poultry  House.     It  has 

Roosting  Pens  on  the  North  of  the  Walk,  Which  Passes 

Through  the  Center,  and  Scratching  Pens  on  the 

South,  the  Birds  Going  From  One  to  the  Other 

Beneath  the  Walk. 


friend  tried  to  utilize  a  building  14  feet  high,  and  her  hens 
froze  on  their  roost.  Bumped  heads,  however,  will  discourage 
the  "men  folks"  from  lending  a  helping  hand,  hence  I  would 
have  a  pen  high  enough  for  the  tallest  "hired  man"  to  enter 


POINTS  ON  HOUSING.  109 

and  clean.     Posts  from  6  to  8  feet  in  front,  are  the  range  I  rec- 
ommend. 

"A"  roofs  are  on  my  houses  and  dripped  on  me  working  in 
front,  till  we  added  troughing  to  carry  away  the  water.     Some 


Colony   Houses   For  the   Accommodation   of   Growing    Stock    in 
the  Fall  and   Breeding  Fowls   in  the  Spring. 

like  more  than  half  the  "A"  in  front,  to  catch  the  sunshine,  hence 
-do  not  put  the  ridge  in  the  center.  The  more  snowy  a  country, 
the  steeper  roof-pitches  should  be.  A  single  roof  sends  its  drip- 
pings to  the  rear,  but  the  longer  the  rafters  the  thicker  together 
and  stronger  they  should  be. 

Brick  we  know  is  a  good  filter  of  water,  but  water-tight 
joints  can  be  made  of  wood,  hence  brick  hen  houses  will  be,  as 
reported,  cold  and  damp,  unless  well  painted  outside  and  double- 
walled,  with  wooden  connections,  or  ceiled,  or  lathed  and  plaster- 
ed inside. 

Lumber  is  easy  to  work  in  and  to  move.  Unseasoned  ma- 
terial gives  off  moisture  at  first,  and  through  its  cracks  later 
lets  in  both  dampness  and  cold.  I  have  found  by  experience 
how  much  harder  it  is  to  whitewash  and  paint  unplaned  than 
planed  lumber,  but,  thanks  to  machinery,  the  latter  now  costs 
only  a  trifle  more.  Boards  and  timber  come  from  10  to  20  feet 
long,  so  plan  your  house  and  order  your  material  as  to  cut  all 
to  good  advantage.  I  keep  my  house  painted,  because  that  pre- 
serves and  purifies  as  much  as  adorns. 


110  POULTRY   MANUAL. 

Perches  should  not  face  a  window,  or  any  probable  source 
of  draft.  A  side  draft  is  the  worst  possible,  because  it  cools  one- 
half  of  the  body  faster  than  the  other  half,  and  destroys  the 
system's  equilibrium.  Whatever  the  style  of  perch  or  nest,  let 
both  be  movable  and  simple,  a  combination  greatly  appreciated 
in  house-cleaning  time.  A  perch  that  takes  apart  and  takes  out 
of  doors,  can  be  kept  more  free  from  parasites.  Avoid  nailing 
parts  together;  use  mortises,  straps,  bolts  and  nuts,  cleats,  etc. 

From  one  and  a  half  to  three  feet  is  about  the  range  of 
height  to  prevent  fowls  from  bumble  foot.  Perches  must  be 
lower  for  heavy  than  for  light  breeds,  because  the  latter  climb 
and  fly  better,  and  usually  have  large  combs  which  are  brought 
into  warmer  air  up  high.  A  stair  arrangement  is  not  so  good 
as  perches  on  a  level,  since  fowls,  like  politicians,  all  want  high- 
est places. 

Heavy  birds  need  wider  roosts,  to  throw  some  weight  on 
shanks  and  off  breast  bone.  Scantlings,  2x3  or  2x4,  broad  side 
up,  with  rounded  edges,  are  popular  perches.  Sassafras  poles 
and  horn  bean,  also  called  blue  or  water  beech,  make  good  roosts, 
but  if  tamarack  and  poplar  are  to  be  used  they  must  certainly 
be  cut  in  winter,  when  the  sap  is  out,  or  they  will  check. 

A  dropping  board  demands  the  same  cleanliness  as  a  floor, 
but  saves  the  whole  bottom  of  the  house  for  hens  to  walk  and 
scratch  in.  Many  economize  space  by  putting  Nest  Boxes  under 
the  roosts,  thus  joining  the  two  most  infested  parts  of  a  poultry 
pen,  and  letting  each  help  stock  the  other  with  parasites.  Unit- 
ed, they  may  prove  too  much  for  a  poulterer,  while  singly  they 
could  be  conquered. 

Movable  boxes,  on  table,  or  ground,  or  hooked  to  the  wall, 
I  have  seen  and  commended.  My  own  nest  boxes,  13  inches 
square  and  17  inches  high,  have  no  tops,  but  rest  on  and  slip 
under  loose  boards  lying  across  brackets  or  cleats,  the  last 
being  the  only  stationary  fixtures  in  my  houses.  I  have  re- 
placed some  cumbersome  nests  of  1-inch  stuff,  by  those  made  o£ 
i^-inch,  out  of  dry  goods  boxes  bought  at  stores.  Heavy  breeds 
need  nests  lower  down,  but  mine  are  18  inches  from  the  ground, 
so  hens  walking  about  do  not  look  in  and  get  tempted  to  eat 
eggs. 

Fences  and  Yards. 

start  yards  with  good  turf,  and  the  latter  will  last  quite 
a  long  time.  If  there  is  no  vegetable  growth  to  absorb  liquid 
droppings,  the  best  raked  yards  get  foul.  Plant  them  double, 
and  while  fowls  are  in  one,  spade  the  other,  and  sow  to  lettuce, 
sweet  corn  or  winter  rye.  In  due  time,  turn  the  birds  on  and 
treat  first  yard  similarly.  Make  long  yards  rather  than  square, 
thus  inducing  as  much  walking  as  possible.  For  best  results,  75 
square  feet  per  fowl  is  none  too  much.  A  limited  range,  if  it 
is  a  range,  perhaps  puts  fowls  under  more  perfect  control  than 
does  farm  freedom. 


FOOD  AND  DRINK 

Requirements  of  the  Fowls — Composition  of  Foods— Food 
Value  of  Grains — Drink  and  Drink  Dishes. 


It  is  difiicult  to  give  absolute  directions  for  amount  of  food, 
because  there  are  so  many  modifying  circumstances.  The  cold- 
er the  climate  or  season,  the  more  we  feed.  A  French  savant 
gave  the  general  rule  of  one  quart  solid  matter  per  day  to 
every  8  large  or  10  small  hens.  Although  I  wish  biddy  to  work 
and  lay,  so  she  will  not  come  out  spring  fat,  I  am  willing  she 
should  enter  in  good  condition  upon  a  Wisconsin  winter,  or  be  as 
fat  then  as  I  shall  ever  allow  her  to  become,  till  ready  for  eating. 

Not  altogether  size,  but  quality  of  range,  its  greenery,  grains 
and  bugs,  decide  how  much  we  shall  add.  A  square  mile  of 
sand,  for  instance,  might  furnish  little  except  grit.  Fowls  which 
exercise  daily,  and  breeds  naturally  active,  utilize  more  food 
than  confined  or  sluggish  fowls  can.  Farmers'  poultry  in  gen- 
eral, and  Leghorns  in  particular,  least  often  overeat. 

The  age  of  birds  must  be  considered.  The  mature  need  less 
food  than  those  growing.  For  this  building  of  frames,  the  Crea- 
tor has  provided,  by  making  the  digestive  apparatus  proportion- 
ately larger  during  youth,  that  is,  the  digestive  apparatus  does 
not  increase  in  size  as  fast  as  remainder  of  body.  Therefore,  it 
becomes  a  law  of  animal  development  that  liberal  feeding  ac- 
complishes more  in  youth  than  at  any  other  period. 

The  following  table  of  growth,  the  result  of  careful  experi- 
ments, is  suggestive,  though  not  universally  applicable: 
Weight  of                      Ozs.  dry  matter  per               Total  ozs.  of  dry 
fowls  in  lbs.                     lbs.  of  live  weight.                   matter  daily, 
lib 1.24 1.24 

2  lbs 1.03 2.06 

3  lbs 94 2.82 

4  lbs 87 3.48 

5  lbs 82 4.10 

An  increase  of  water  is  demanded,  to  rinse  and  empty  the 
system  of  its  waste,  to  lubricate  organs,  joints,  etc. 

It  is  rare  that  hens  and  pullets  in  one  flock,  both  do  equally 
well,  either  the  former  become  overfat,  or  the  latter  stunted. 
The  question  of  retaining  layers  a  second  year,  properly  comes 
here. 

6  months.  6  months. 

1st  year No  eggs.  Many  eggs. 

2nd  year Eggs  all  through  the  year. 


112  POULTRY  MANUAL. 

By  actual  trial,  I  feed  less  the  second  year,  yet  I  have  as 
many  eggs,  but  our  properly  reared  pullet  presents  most  of  her 
eggs  in  the  winter,  with  prices  high,  whereas  our  hen  distributes 
her  product  more.  Considering  the  labor  of  rearing,  I  retain 
my  layers  two  years. 

If  food  is  left,  I  reduce  the  amount.  If  they  seem  very 
hungry,  give  more,  and  watch  whether  they  get  fat,  because  a 
very  fat  hen  either  does  not  lay  or  else  lays  soft-shelled,  bloody 
eggs,  "unripe  ones,"  a  boy  said,  her  egg  organs  being  crowded 
and  degenerate. 

The  layer  is  a  brood  animal,  therefore  appetite  should  be 
almost  satisfied,  never  cloyed.  Even  ''Cramming,"  fattening  or 
"finishing"  fowls  can  be  carried  on  only  about  so  long.  Then 
the  clogged  liver  ceases  to  act  well  and  the  fowl  ceases  to  gain. 

In  a  state  of  nature,  birds  are  constantly  picking.  Their 
nervous  system  is  highly  developed,  which  is  an  aid  to  digestion, 
hence  I  hang  up  hogs'  heads,  unthreshed  grain,  etc.,  to  distribute 
food  and  yet  not  deprive  of  exercise.  My  hens  will  now  strip  a 
cabbage,  and  they  tear  down  a  tender  liver.  Feed  lightly  morn- 
ing and  noon,  but  send  them  with  full  crops  to  their  night's  fast. 

The  French  scientist,  Reaumur,  to  ascertain  whether  fowls 
prefer  cooked  grain,  furnished  them  daily  with  several  sorts  and 
preparations.  Sometimes  all  kinds  were  devoured  alike,  at 
others  nothing  but  dry  grain,  then  again  nothing  except  boiled 
and  no  permanence  could  be  discovered  in  the  preference  shown 
for  any  particular  kind  of  boiled  grain.  The  kernels  swell  in 
cooking,  hence  corn,  wheat  and  barley  thus  treated,  went  farther 
while  oats,  buckwheat  and  rye  were  so  heartily  eaten  after  boil- 
ing, that  there  resulted  no  saving,  but  a  slight  loss.  Although 
there  be  no  economy  of  these  latter  by  cooking  them,  his  experi- 
ment teaches  us  how  we  may  induce  fowls  to  eat  them,  and 
thus  economize  dearer  grains.     I  have  boiled  many  oats. 

The  potato,  belonging  to  same  family  as  tobacco  and  hen- 
bane, is  more  wholesome  cooked.  Clover  becomes  more  natural 
and  less  packing  and  constipating.  Carrots,  which  help  color 
biddy's  egg-yolks,  like  brindle's  butter,  my  hens  will  only  eat 
boiled,  and  then  I  have  to  flavor  with  an  onion  or  two. 

All  kinds  of  ground  grain  swell  upon  the  application  of  heat 
and  moisture.  If  this  swelling  is  not  done  outside  fowls,  it  will 
be  done  inside,  where  there  is  certainly  plenty  of  heat  and  mois- 
ture, but  I  find,  by  observation,  that  packed  crops,  etc.,  result. 
Fowls,  in  fact,  lack  capacity  for  the  operation.  Hence,  from  the 
hatching  to  killing,  1  scald  or  bake  all  their  puddings,  and  never 
mix  with  any  cold  water.  The  fault  of  most  puddings,  as  well 
as  of  bread  and  milk  or  other  soft  preparations,  is  sloppiness. 

Feed  every  such  thing  as  dry  as  it  can  be  and  yet  be  wet,  if 
you  would  prevent  diarrhea.  Having  several  times  dissected 
the  crop  and  seen  how  softened  and  swelled  were  the  grains,  etc, 
within  it,  I  know  it  is  a  stomach.     When  we  add  the  esophagal 


FOOD  AND  DRINK.  113 

pouch  with  its  gastric  glands,  and  the  gizzard  with  its  grinding 
movement,  we  find  a  very  different  digestive  apparatus  from  a 
pig's  simple  stomach.  Here  the  Creator  hints  that  fowls  must 
not  have  food  run  immediately  through  them,  but,  instead,  stay 
a  while.  As  soft  food  digests  rapidly,  it  should  be  given  early  in 
the  day  when  fowls  are  suffering  from  their  long  nightly  fast. 
The  question  whether  fowls  must  be  fed  or  watered  first,  morn- 
ings, mine  practically  solve  by  eating  little  till  they  have  an 
opportunity  to  drink,  which  is  wise,  because  the  food  is  not  then 
too  rapidly  washed  along. 

In  winter,  a  few  hours  before  use,  I  simply  put  each  pan 
of  grain  under  one  of  our  stoves.  By  a  little  forethought,  I  take 
no  extra  steps  for  that  grain,  but  bring  it  in  when  out  on  er- 
rands. When  a  hen  warms  up  inside  her  the  cold  food  taken 
she  has  used  some  of  her  stored  energy  and  heat.  Our  stoves, 
already  going,  might  as  well  do  more  good  as  to  tax  biddy  so. 
Put  warmth  into  her  by  means  of  warm  food,  and  she  and  you 
are  that  much  ahead. 

Just  the  time  when  you  take  hot  coffee  and  cakes  give  biddy 
a  warm  mash,  because  in  all  but  nocturnal  animals,  life's  tides 
are  lowest  mornings,  after  night's  long  fast  and  little  change  of 
position,  sleep  being  better  for  nerves  than  for  circulation. 
Warm  food  digests  and  gets  to  work  quicker  than  anything  cold, 
because  a  stomach  takes  a  little  time  first  to  warm  up  later. 
They  sustain  the  same  relation  to  each  other  as  dry  and  green 
wood  do.  Women  who  must  start  the  family  breakfast  promptly 
can,  as  I  do,  send  out  a  few  handfuls  of  warmed  grain,  by  the 
"men  folks,"  and  "stay"  the  fowls,  till  ready  to  make  and  feed 
their  pudding.  Some  prepare  it  night  before,  leave  covered,  and 
it  is  well  steamed,  but  nearly  cold.  Because  that  warm  mash 
has  been  abused,  hens  have  over-eaten,  stood  idle  all  day  after- 
ward, and  acquired  dyspepsia,  is  no  reason  for  entire  discontinu- 
ance. A.  G.  Gilbert's  plan  is  to  "throw  all  waste  of  the  kitchen, 
in  the  shape  of  meat  scraps,  pieces  of  bread,  uneaten  vegetables, 
etc.,  into  a  pot;  heat  up  in  the  morning  till  nearly  boiling,  and 
then  mix  bran,  shorts,  or  whatever  is  most  abundant  or  cheap, 
with  the  hot  mess,  dusting  in  a  small  quantity  of  red  pepper  be- 
fore mixing.  Let  the  mixture  stand  for  a  few  minutes,  until 
the  meal  is  nearly  cooked."  Pepper  is  a  stimulant,  not  a  food, 
hence  a  little  is  good,  but  too  much  irritates.  I  consider  1  quart 
of  pudding  to  18  or  20  hens  sufficient,  because  they  can  eat  it 
so  rapidly  and  easily  that  they  would  otherwise  gorge.  My 
standard  mixture  is  one-third  each,  bran,  shorts  and  corn  meal, 
by  bulk,  with  usually  a  little  pea,  bran  or  linseed  meal  added. 
Sometimes  ground  oats  have  taken  the  place  of  bran. 

Do  not  burn  the  hens'  throats,  but  also  make  allowance  for 
the  cooling  effect  on  food  of  icy  troughs  or  frosty  boards.  I  ad- 
mire the  latter  for  a  table.    When  fowls  are  done,  scrape  the 


114 


POULTRY  MANUAL. 


boards  clean,  with  cob  or  knife,  stand  on  one  end,  and  the  table 
is  already  set  for  next  meal. 

I  once  bought  some  cheap  grain  musted  from  being  kept  over 
a  horse  stable.  When  used,  I  had  to  brown  it  in  the  oven,  or 
scald  with  hot  water,  to  destroy  mould  plant  and  arrest  diarrhea 
caused.  By  several  times  picking  out  all  other  seeds  from  a 
handful  of  wheat  screenings,  then  comparing  wheat  left  and 
price  with  solid  grain's  price,  I  found  the  latter  cheaper.  Shrunk- 
en wheat,  unmolded,  is  not  bad,  because  containing  all  essential 


A  Row  of  Colony   Houses   on  the  Plant  of  a   Village  Poultry 
Keeper. 

elements,  though  less  starch  and  water.  Occasionally  an  ele- 
vator burns  and  charred  grain  is  thrown  on  the  market,  but 
much  of  it  is  nearly  consumed,  and  so  smoked  as  to  be  actually 
poisonous.    Utilize  your  own  poor  grains,  etc.,  but  buy  the  best. 

Composition  of  Foods. 

Hens  may  be  overfed  with  some  elements,  and  at  the  same 
time  underfed  in  others,  unless  we  know  what  to  feed. 

Scientists  differ  a  little  in  application  of  terms,  but  the  word 
protein  generally  covers  all  food  substances  containing  nitrogen, 
whether  their  names  be  albuminoids,  gelatinoids,  or  whatever. 
The  work  of  protein,  or  its  contained  nitrogen,  is  to  build  tissues 
and  frame,  then  keep  muscles  and  bones  in  repair,  supply  al- 
bumen for  eggs,  etc.  Protein,  aided  by  some  mineral  matters, 
provides  the  machinery,  we  may  say.  If  we  feed  nothing  else, 
a  part  of  it  will  be  converted  into  heat  and  energy,  but  the  lat- 
ter work  can  be  done  by  cheaper  foods,  while  its  own  proper 


FOOD  AND   DRINK.  115 

work  cannot,  just  as  beautiful  walnut  and  mahogany  can  be  burn- 
ed, like  pine,  but  pine  cannot  fill  the  higher  places  in  art. 

Carbo-hydrates  is  a  term  including  starch,  sugar,  cellulose 
and  other  allied  substances,  all  of  which  are  carbonaceous  or 
heat  formers.     They  are  the  fuel. 

Fats,  in  moderation,  are  generally  aids  to  digestion.  They 
are  the  oil  for  our  machinery.  Starches  and  fats  fed  abundantly 
will,  either  one  or  both  together,  form  a  reserve  of  fat  in  the 
system,  piled  up  fuel  under  cover,  we  may  call  it.  Fed  in  excess, 
they  produce  obesity,  or  else  pour  through  the  system  undigested, 
just  as  too  much  coal  clogs  the  fire  or  rushes  through  stove  into 
ash  pan  below. 

Prof.  \V.  O.  Atvv'ater  gives  the  model  pound  of  food  for  an 
average  man  as: 

Protein.  Fat.  Carbohydrates. 

2  ozs.  13  drams.  1  oz.  1  dram.  12  ozs.   2  drams. 

Dairymen  prescribe  a  not  very  different  one  for  milch  cows. 
So  we  may  accept  the  above  as  a  fair  scheme  to  try  upon  laying 
hens  and  growing  cnickons.  Broilers  and  fattening  stock  should 
receive  much  more  carbon  and  oil,  hence  we  usually  find  Indian 
corn  the  basis  of  their  food  preparations.  Various  scientific 
papers  and  U.  S.  Agricultural  bulletins  have  given  food  analysis 
from  which  the  following  is  arranged. 

The  poulterer  can  profitably  spend  his  evenings  studying  it, 
though  accepting  all  "with  a  grain  (or  more)  of  salt"  or  common 
sense: 

In  every  lb.  of  Fi-otein.        Fat.        Starch.      Min.  Mat. 

ozs,  drs.     ozs.  drs.     ozs.  drs.     ozs.  drs. 

Oats    2       1  15         7         8         4  5 

Middlings    2     14  15         8         8  13 

Bran     2       9  10         6       14  15 

Wheat    115  8         9         4  5 

Buckwheat    115  1  9         4  4 

Barley    1     12  5         9       10  5 

Indian  Corn   1     12  1         4       10         7  2 

Linseed   Meal    4     11  1         1         5         5  1 

Beef    Scraps 8       6  4       11 

Green  Bone   9      8  2      11  4 

Skim  Milk    12  8  13  2 

Clover  Hay   1  3        5  3 

Grass    6  2        2         2  6 

Potatoes    1       1  5         6         9  5 

Beans  or  Peas   4  5        7      11  5 

The  following  list  gives  effect  of  certain  articles  on  the  bow- 
els as  my  own  hens  have  been  affected  thereby.  The  poulterer 
should  not  only  study  constituents  of  foods,  but  carefully  watch 
the  droppings  of  his  fowls,  and  regulate  their  diet  somewhat  ac- 
cording to  latter. 


116  POULTRY  MANUAL. 

Constipating  foods  include  shorts,  corn  meal,  curd,  charcoal, 
dry  hay. 

Laxative  foods  are  salt,  bran,  rye,  linseed  meal,  beef  scraps, 
meat,  oats,  grass,  vegetables,  sour  milk. 

Any  grain  fresh  from  the  threshing  machine  is  loosening 
till  after  it  has  time  to  "sweat,"  etc.  Laxative  foods  continued 
till  they  irritate,  produce  a  dangerous  form  of  constipation.  The 
worst  case  of  the  latter  I  ever  saw  was  a  hen's  lower  bowels 
packed  with  oat  hulls. 

Although  Indian  corn  produces  eggs  with  yolks  of  dark  col- 
or and  rich  flavor,  it  is  so  fat-forming  and  warmth-giving,  I  feed 
little  except  winter  nights,  and  then  on  the  cob.  Northern  fowls 
and  those  on  farms,  will  bear  more  of  it  than  Southern  birds  or 
those  confined.  Many  breeding  exhibition  poultry  believe  maize 
not  only  makes  yellow  shanks,  but  imparts  that  shade  to  other- 
wise pure  white  plumage. 

Oats,  though  a  nerve  food,  and  well  proportioned  in  elements, 
are  harsh  and  indigestible  because  of  their  hulls.  The  better 
and  heavier  our  oats,  the  less  hull  in  proportion  to  body.  They 
are  a  good  summer  grain,  and  I  give  them  occasionally  in  win- 
ter, to  reduce  fat  hens  and  set  them  laying.  There  is  so  much 
hull  gone  from  rolled  oatmeal,  the  latter  becomes  an  elegant  ra- 
tion for  chicks,  while  common  customary  ground  oats  have 
proved  fatal. 

Barley  and  rye  are  midway  between  corn  and  oats.  The 
former  is  popular  with  Englii:-<h  poulterers.  The  latter,  my  hens 
only  eat  cooked  or  fresh  from  the  thresher. 

The  best  single  grain  to  feed  is  wheat.  The  accusation  that, 
in  large  quantity,  it  produces  diarrhea,  I  believe  only  true  of 
screenings.  Bran  varies  greatly  in  quality  and  irritating  effect 
on  the  bowels. 

Buckwheat  is  the  basis  of  poultry  rations  in  France,  but  that 
country  raises  better  buckwheat  than  ours.  It  is  reputed  to 
heat  the  blood  and  to  cause  white  flesh  and  egg  yolks.  I  give 
it  as  a  change  in  winter. 

Millet    and    rice    are    both  rather  fattening. 

Peas  and  beans.  Some  may  be  glad  to  learn  I  have  no  trou- 
Me  in  getting  them  ground  at  any  ordinary  custom  mill.  A  pint 
of  such  meal,  added  to  a  4-quart  pudding,  replaces  meat. 

Sunflowers  aid  digestion  and  oil  plumage.  The  North  Caro- 
lina Experiment  Station  has  demonstrated  what  I  long  suspected, 
that  the  black-seeded  sunflower  is  richer  than  the  "Russian." 
The  latter,  though  prolific,  oftener  blights  here,  and  its  seeds  are 
awkwardly  large.  Plant  later  than  corn,  and  cultivate  similarly. 
Large  heads  stored  for  winter,  can  be  saved  from  molding  by 
cutting  a  large  patch  from  back  of  each. 

Where  range  is  large  and  insects  abundant,  fowls  will  help 
themselves  in  summer.  For  winter,  I  know  Of  nothing  better 
for  meat  food  than  the  bone  cutter. 


FOOD  AND  DRINK.  117 

Green  bones  (those  from  the  butcher)  can  not  be  ground,  as 
they  are  too  tough,  and  contain  a  large  share  of  water  or  blood. 
They  must  therefore  be  cut  with  a  bone  cutter.  When  bones  be- 
come very  hard  and  dry  they  can  be  ground  in  a  mill,  but  will 
then  have  lost  a  large  proportion  of  their  nutritious  matter. 
Green  bones  are  rich  in  nitrogen,  and  therefore  serve  as  food. 
When  a  bone  contains  a  large  share  of  adhering  meat  it  is  all 
the  more  valuable. 


Colony  Houses  on  a  Fanciers  Place. 

Bones  serve  several  purposes  when  used  for  poultry.  Being 
phosphate  of  lime,  they  are  capable  of  being  digested,  which  is 
not  so  much  the  case  with  oyster  shells  and  grit. 

My  bone  cutter  does  excellent  work  on  breast  bone,  backbone 
and  ball  and  socket  joints,  especially  when  the  bones  are  frozen. 
Gambrel  joints  and  hind  shins  must  be  thrown  out  entirely. 
Boiled  bones  cut  very  easily,  but  baked  or  fried  are  pretty  hard. 
Higher  priced  machines  cut  anything.  The  cutter  also  shaves 
in  fine  shape,  vegetables  and  beef  scraps  or  cracklings.  One 
of  the  Eastern  Experiment  Stations  analyzed  about  150  differ- 
ent specimens  of  bcnies,  and  found  all  essentially  the  same,  after 
slight  variations  in  solidity,  solubility  and  proportion.  While 
clams,  old  plaster  and  oyster  shells,  which  contain  considerable 
carbonate  of  lime,  may  do  well  for  egg  shells,  also  containing 
that,  there  is  nothing  like  bone  to  make  bone,  or  grow  strong, 
valuable  chicks.  The  egg  itself  contains  some  phosphates,  and 
the  following  test  shows  green  bones'  effect  on  egg  production. 

Three  pens  were  made  up,  of  10  hens  and  10  pullets  each, 
for  the  85  days,  November  1  to  January  24.     They  all  received 


118  POULTRY   MANUAL. 

feiavel.  The  first  lot  had  also  14  pounds  green  ground  bone; 
the  second,  6  pounds  oyster  shells;  the  third,  gravel  alone.  The 
egg  yields  were  respectively  195,  83  and  65. 

We  have  successfully  fed  1  lb.  ground  bone  per  day  to  20 
fowls  or  when  we  had  not  the  bone,  beef  or  pork  scraps  at  same 
ratio.  There  have  been  reports  of  forced  moulting  from  over- 
doing green  bone. 

Burned  bone  is  better  than  nothing,  but  most  of  the  phos- 
phates are  lost,  only  a  superior  form  of  lime  remaining.  Hens 
will  not  eat  crude  lime.  Make  and  frequently  pulverize  some 
mortar  for  them,  as  the  least  possible  provision  for  mineral 
matter. 

Milk,  if  sweet,  is  one  of  the  best  animal  foods.  Sour  milk 
is  so  laxative  1  aUvays  add  enough  soda  to  take  off  the  edge  of 
the  sour.  Buttermilk  needs  both  sweetening  and  diluting.  Curd, 
made  slowlj-,  so  it  is  not  ropy,  about  equals  meat.  I  put  the  milk- 
in  a  pan  reserved  for  that  purpose,  and  set  upon  my  asbestos 
stove-mat,  where  it  cooks  itself,  without  watching,  then  strain 
through  a  perforated  Lin  pan. 

Eggs  are  a  concentrated  food,  chiefly  suitable  for  and  af- 
forded to  chickens  and  poults.  Some  commend  eggs,  while  other 
authorities  declare  they  produce  bowel  complaint.  As  so  often 
true,  both  are  right.  An  egg  boiled  5  minutes,  has  its  albumen 
or  white,  turned  into  indigestible  leather.  Boiled  a  half  hour  or 
longer,  that  leather  itself  becomes  no  worse,  and  the  yolk  grows 
more  digestible.  In  finely  mincing  whole  egg,  with  a  knife  or 
fork,  lies  one  secret  of  successful  use,  or  eggs  put  in  cold  water, 
just  brought  to  boiling  point,  immediately  set  off,  and  left  in 
the  water  till  cold,  will  chop  well  and  yet  are  wholesome.  Raw 
eggs  thickened  with  bread  crumbs  and  custard  are  good,  be- 
cause one  is  natural  and  the  other  thoroughly  cooked. 
Use  of  Green  Foods. 

Green  food  furnishes  bulk,  and  dilutes  a  concentrated  grain 
ration  so  that  it  fills,  distends  and  exercises  the  stomach,  with- 
out much  expense  or  wearing  it  out.  There  is  nothing  equal  to 
a  grass  run,  because  grass  has  the  salts  of  lime  and  other  ele- 
ments, in  a  soluble,  more  easily  appropriated  form  than  grains 
have.  Ten  geese  need  as  much  pasture  as  a  cow,  and  200  hens 
will  eat  the  grass  on  1  acre. 

Hay  made  from  nice  grass  or  clover,  may  become  nearly  as 
palatable  as  when  fresh,  by  running  it  through  a  cutter  and  then 
scalding,  steaming  or  boilng  it.  Several  dairymen  who  have  en- 
silage and  hens,  report  the  perfect  agreement  of  the  two.  All 
kinds  of  chopped  vegetables  help  make  summer  in  a  chicken's 
heart  and  in  the  egg  basket.  Beets,  rather  fattening,  are  relish- 
ed like  beef.  Turnips  are  a  little  more  nutritious  and  cabbage  is 
especially  rich.  Our  crab  apples  are  carefully  gathered  in  au- 
tumn, and  chopped  at  intervals  for  the  hens,  and  our  refuse  cran- 
berries are  boiled  with  their  potatoes. 


FOOD  AND  DRINK. 


119 


I  hardly  know  how  to  class  our  butternuts.  We  have  many 
trees,  and  crack  many  nuts  lor  the  hens,  which  enjoy  the  frolic, 
and  pick  the  shells  perfectly  clean.  Walnuts,  related  to  butter- 
nuts, are  used  in  England  to  give  poultry  a  fine  flavor. 

The  secret  of  winter  laying  is  an  imitation  of  summer's  con- 
ditions, when  everybody's  hens  lay.  Variety  of  food,  is  a  sum- 
mer characteristic.     Three  of  my  neighbors  have  each  adopted  a 


A  Head  of  Cabbage  May  be  Suspended  so  High  That  the  Fowls 

Can  Reach  It  by  Jumping  For  It,  and  Will  Then  Furnish 

Green  Food  and  Exercise  At  the  Same  Time. 

hotel  in  town,  whore  they  keep  boxes  for  scraps.  Beware  of 
fish  bones,  however,  if  you  enter  such  a  scheme.  To  variety  of 
food,  I  ascribe  my  hens'  good  egg  yield,  about  140  apiece  per 
year,  with  "a  fair  count  and  no  favors,"  and  that  in  two  large 
flocks  cf  50  each;  also  general  good  health  of  my  flocks,  once  for 
six  months  of  cold  weather  there  being  not  a  death  nor  touch  of 
sickness,  nor  any  vices  developed.  At  the  Cornell  Station,  a  com- 
pany of  nens  v/ere  fed  on  nitrogenous  foods,  like  cabbage,  clover 
and  oats,  another  company  on  carbonaceous,  like  corn  and  pota- 
toes. Large  and  finely  flavored  eggs  came  from  the  latter.  The 
former  produced  more  in  number,  bat  small  and  of  poor  keeping 
qualities.  Good  as  onions  are  for  the  liver,  and  rich  as  fish  are 
in  phosphates,  any  such  strong  food  will  flavor  eggs,  unless  com- 


120  POULTRY  MANUAL. 

billed  with  a  great  variety  of  other  articles.  I  can  thus  feed 
onions  twice  a  week,  and  yet  an  invalid  who  prized  my  poultry 
products,  said  "I  am  so  glad  you  don't  give  onions,"  till  I  laugh- 
ingly told  her  the  truth. 

There  are  things,  not  exactly  foods,  yet  indirectly  valuable 
in  a  diet.  Like  their  owners,  hens  need  grit,  only  another  kind. 
We  get  artificial  assistance  when  we  have  no  teeth,  and  how 
shall  toothless  fowls  grind  their  food,  unless  aided?  H.  B.  May 
says  all  diseases,  but  "'old  age,"  have  practically  passed  away 
from  his  poultry  yards  since  the  free  use  of  gravel.  My  own 
testimony  is  similar,  and  a  friend  thus  cured  feather  eating. 
Surface  gravel  is  worn  too  smooth.  It  needs  be  dug  from  a  pit 
or  specially  prepared. 

Charcoal  and  salt  I  rank  among  the  cures  for  egg  and 
feather  eating,  and  preventives  of  cholera.  Charred  corn  is  rel- 
ished occasionally.  In  addition,  I  buy  the  true  and  more  valu- 
able charcoal  of  commerce,  burned  under  a  smothered  fire,  with 
its  carbon  nearly  all  preserved.  Pulverize  a  little  at  a  time,  as 
it  soon  loses  strength. 

Salt  prevents  gapes  and  worms,  and  increases  egg  yield, 
but  is  very  physicing  if  improperly  handled.  I  have  known  pork 
brine  and  water  from  the  ice  cream  freezer,  when  thrown  out, 
to  kill  fowls  that  drank,  but  mine  never  took  any  harm  from 
the  clear  salt  for  years  exposed  to  cattle  on  our  farm,  and  one 
teaspoon  pulverized  salt  to  a  quart  of  meal,  mixed  dry  through 
the  dry  meal,  before  the  latter  is  cooked  or  scalded,  is  perfectly 
safe. 

The  simple  V  trough  any  farmer  can  make,  is  better  than  a 
flat  one,  because  it  affords  less  footing,  should  hens  "forget  their 
manners,"  and  try  to  step  in. 

As  an  egg  is  more  than  80  per  cent  water,  a  generous,  con- 
stant supply  of  the  latter  is  needed.  Cold  water  is  most  refresh- 
ing in  summer  and  warm  in  winter.  Stale  water  is  at  precisely 
the  temperatuie  in  which  microbes  best  flourish.  Prof.  Russell 
says  although  melted  ice  and  water  from  driven  wells  are  not 
free  from  m.icrobes,  they  present  fewer  specimens.  A  tube  con- 
veying waste  water  from  our  well  cleaned  ice  box  into  an  often 
cleaned  iron  di<^h,  provides  my  summer  outfit.  In  winter,  my 
father  puts  a  hot  brick  on  the  ground,  sets  over  it  a  segment  of 
a  keg,  and  in  the  latter  puts  his  pan  of  water. 

Pans  and  crocks  to  be  emptied,  dried,  and  aired  at  night, 
are  excellent.  A  cob  minus  its  corn,  is  my  daily  dish-cloth.  (No 
patent.) 

Mondays,  when  we  have  plenty  of  hot  suds,  these  dishes  get 
an  extra  washing. 


PARASITES  AND  MICROBES 


The  Pests  that  Prey  Upon  Poultry  and  How  to  Destroy  Them 

A  parasite  is  an  organism  which  lives  on  another,  and  the 
name  is  generally  restricted  to  those  large  enough  to  be  dis- 
covered by  the  eye  or  by  an  ordinary  magnifying  glass. 

Microbes  is  a  general,  indefinite  term  for  very  much  minuter 
organisms,  or  germs  of  organisms,  both  animal  and  vegetable, 
now  believed  to  cause  many  infectious  and  contagious  diseases. 

The  following  classifies  the  best  known  animal  parasites  of 
fowls: 

Insects. — Gnats,  blow  flies,  fleas,  lice,  bedbugs. 

Spiders. — Red  mites,  feather  mites,  scabies  of  leg. 

Worms. — Flat,  round. 

Articulates  are  composed  of  joints  or  rings.  Insects,  like- 
wise spiders,  have  dissimilar  segments,  while  the  segments 
of  worms  are  all  similar.  Insects  in  their  mature  stage,  have 
a  body  with  three  distinct  parts,  abdomen,  thorax  or  neck,  and 
head,  and  six  wings.  Spiders  have  eight  legs,  and  a  body  of 
only  two  sections,  head  and  thorax  being  in  one. 

The  effects  of  lice,  fleas,  etc.,  are  that  fowls  cease  to  gain 
flesh,  lose  what  they  have,  get  rough  plumage  and  scabby  skins, 
and  sometimes  desert  their  homes  and  young,  occasioned  not 
so  much  by  loss  of  blood,  as  from  the  constant  tickling  and 
want  of  rest  and  sleep. 

So  far  as  my  observation  goes  all  these  parasites  breed  in 
filth,  darkness,  dampness,  and  quiet. 

Institute  audiences  have  asked  little  about  the  early  history 
of  poultry  parasites,  but  again  and  again  repeated  the  question 
— "Will  these  creatures  injure  other  stock?"  Prof.  Neumann  of 
Toulouse,  acknowledged  an  excellent  authority  for  such  matters, 
has  devoted  attention  to  that  phase,  and  assures  us  there  is  little 
danger  except  in  one  or  two  cases  hereafter  mentioned,  each 
animal,  in  general,  having  its  own  enemies,  which,  though  they 
may  travel  over  and  vex  others,  do  not  breed  thereon.  For  ex- 
ample, lice  on  horses  and  cattle  are  distinct  from  each  other,  and 
both  from  poultry  lice. 

There  are,  at  least,  a  half  dozen  species  of  lice  for  the  hen, 
and  nearly  as  many  slightly  differing  ones  for  peacocks,  guineas, 
etc.  They  are  dirty  white,  yellow,  or  fawn  in  color;  "tawny" 
I  called  the  latter  before  I  met  them  in  scientific  books.  Prof. 
Law  unites  with  Prof.  Neumann  in  saying  none  are  true  blood- 
suckers,  but   possess   strong,   biting   jaws.     With   microscope   I 


122  POULTRY  MANUAL. 

have  examined  many  of  the  gray  "head"  lice,  and  even  borrowed 
them  off  my  neighbor's  fowls,  but  though  large  headed,  they 
seemed  to  lack  a  proboscis,  presenting  the  same  cavernous 
mouth  and  general  characteristics  as  all  poultry  lice,  yet  while 
others  move  quite  rapidly  from  spot  to  spot,  especially  the  species 
popularly  known  as  "large  bodied,  fast-running  yellow  louse," 
(Goniocotes  Gigas)  the  gray  ones  fasten  themselves  to  head  or 
throat.  A  sharp  thumb  nail  or  pin  is  needed  to  dislodge  them. 
It  remained  for  Minnesota's  distinguished  Prof.  .Lugger  to  dis- 
cover the  latter's  proboscis.  Others  killed  their  specimens  slow- 
ly in  oil.  He  killed  his  so  quickly  that  the  probosces  were  not 
returned  to  their  sheaths,  where  they  are  folded  when  not  used. 

Little  chicks  are  soft,  and  broody  hens,  quiet,  hence  both  are 
especially  troubled,  but  being  easily  caught  and  handled,  there  is 
no  excuse  for  not  often  dusting  them  with  pyrethrum,  or  any 
other  good  preparation.  Procure  a  twenty  cent  bellows  with 
large,  easy  opening  for  introducing  powder.  Its  long  tube  gets 
down  to  the  base  of  feathers  where  pests  are.  A  few  times  a 
year  go  over  the  whole  fiock.  Mine  roost  while  yet  light  enough 
for  me  to  examine  them. 

When  you  can,  exercise  biddy,  instead  of  she  exercising  you. 
A  filled  dust  box  six  inches  deep,  will  be  her  great  resort  and 
remedy  for  lice.  I  sift  ashes  with  a  coarse  sieve  from  the  fan- 
ning mill,  because  biddy  can  do  better  work  after  clinkers  and 
coals  are  removed,  which  I  then  throw  down  for  her  to  eat  and 
play  with.  Wood  ashes  bleach  plumage,  and  road  dust  is  rather 
filthy.  My  preference  is  one-fourth  air-slaked  lime  or  sulphur, 
and  the  remainder  coal  ashes. 

In  the  South  and  Southwest,  gnats  sting  the  heads  of  young 
fowls.  I  used  to  anoint  bad  cases  with  a  little  glycerine  or 
vaseline. 

Maggots  occasionally  infest  the  accidental  wounds  of  geese 
or  other  old  fowls.     Chloroform  is  a  neat  remedy. 

Ticks  are  common  on  turkeys  and  fowls  which  roam  over 
old  fields.  The  tick  has  a  labial  dart  with  recurved  teeth,  re- 
move, therefore,  by  gently  working  from  side  to  side,  or  by 
touching  with  a  drop  of  kerosene. 

Various  depluming  mites  live  on  feathers  and  scurf.  They 
are  not  generally  dangerous,  but  cause  dryness  and  breaking  of 
plumage,  or  red,  scabby  skin.  They  cluster  around  quills  of 
feathers  on  back  and  near  vent.  Pluck  and  burn.  Apply  hen's 
oil. 

Scaly  leg  is  caused  by  a?  mite  (Sarcoptes  Mutans,)  which 
commences  to  dig  under  the  large  scales  on  front  of  legs  and 
on  upper  side  of  claws.  From  thence  it  spreads  all  over  leg. 
The  scales  are  raised  and  broken  by  the  irritation,  the  leg  en- 
larged and  some  fowls  have  inoculated  their  heads  in  scratching 
with  their  claws. 

The  progress  and  contagion  of  disease  are  slow,  but  affected 


PARASITES  AND  MICROBES. 


123 


fowls  gradually  wear  out,  and  chicks  are  sure  to  take  the  para- 
site from  an  affected  mother.  A  pullet  given  me  from  a  place 
where  this  scabies  had  appeared,  infected  several  companions, 
though  carefully  anointed  before  placed  among  my  flock.  Asiat- 
ics are  especially  subject  to  the  complaint.  Old  fowls,  the  skin 
of  which  is  less  oily,  are  most  troubled,  hence  nature  indicates 
an  oily  application.  I  scrub  legs  clean  with  an  old  toothbrush 
and  warm   soapsuds.     Then  anoint  with  hen's   oil  which  I  am 


A  Flock   of  White  Wyandottes  Which   Keep   the   Family   on  a 
Small  Farm   in  Fresh   Eggs. 

now  using  everywhere.  I  formerly  used  sweet  oil,  having  acci- 
dentally learned  the  former's  virtues  by  being  out  of  sweet  oil 
once.  Kerosene  applications  are  too  severe;  they  have  lamed 
fowls  for  me,  and  killed  them  for  acquaintances.  Isolate  affected 
hens,  never  set  such,  and  disinfect  the  perches. 

There  is  but  one  species  of  common  flea  on  poultry  and  it 
troubles  pigeons  more  than  other  fowls.  Though  fleas  breed  in 
dirt,  they  sometimes  accomplish  their  complete  evolution  on  the 
body  of  their  host.  The  Southern  "jigger"  is  of  the  flea  family. 
The  remedies  for  fleas  and  bedbugs  or  Nest  Bugs  (the  latter 
not  identical  with  dwelling-house  bug)  are  same  as  those  given 
under  Red  Mites  or  Dermanysses,  all  being  creatures  which  live 
in  cracks  and  crevices  of  walls,  floors,  nests  and  perches,  rather 


124  POULTRY  MANUAL. 

than  permanently  on  fowls,  but  regularly  visiting  the  latter  to 
draw  their  nightly  or  daily  supply  of  blood  as  food. 

Destructive  Red  Mites. 

Red  mites  look  like  exceedingly  minute  spiders  and  vary 
from  yellow  to  dark  red,  according  as  they  are  fasting  or  full. 
Sometimes  they  become  permanent  parasites,  in  great  colonies, 
on  sitting  hens  and  feeble  chicks,  but  ordinarily  nothing  can  be 
discovered  daytimes,  except  a  flea-bitten  aspect  of  the  skin. 
Pounding  nests  will  sometimes  bring  them  out,  and  wiping  under- 
side of  perch  with  a  white  cloth,  on  which  they  show  well,  dis- 
closes their  presence.  They  are  found  most  easily  early  morn- 
ing, before  well  hidden  away  for  the  day.  They  are  probably 
our  worst  poultry  parasites.  Besides  being  extremely  prolific, 
they  can  exist  months  without  eating,  and  are  not  limited  to 
birds,  but  pass  to  man  and  quadrupeds.  They  transfer  them- 
selves to  horses  most  readily.  Schumaker,  however,  reports  a 
cow  in  Germany  which  became  mad  and  had  to  be  killed,  owing 
to  colonies  of  these  creatures  in  her  ears.  Her  stall  was  sep- 
arated from  a  hen  roost  by  only  a  plank  partition.  It  is  thought 
those  red  mites  on  canary  birds  and  swallows  are  the  same,  the 
canaries  perhaps  infested  from  poultry,  and  poultry  from  swal- 
lows. Red  mites  are  particularly  pestiferous  in  Minnesota,  Iowa 
and  the  West.  If  any  are  present  in  your  poultry  quarters,  de- 
lay not,  or  you  may  have  to  do  like  one  Minnesota  man  who 
tore  down  his  henhouse. 

Remedies.  Hot  coal  tar  applied  on  perches  is  said  to  dry 
well,  not  stick,  and  be  efficacious.  Kerosene,  taken  in  time,  I 
know  to  be  a  sure  remedy.  I  frequently  paint  perches  with  it, 
using  a  discarded  paintbrush,  and  choose  the  morning,  so  enough 
oil  will  evaporate  not  to  cause  roosting  fowls  sore  feet.  I  turn 
the  filling  out  of  the  nests,  wipe  off  nest-eggs  and  pour  kerosene, 
from  nozzle  of  can,  into  all  joints,  especially  four  top  corners, 
also  pour  into  bearings  of  perches.  A  twig,  round  on  one 
side  and  flat  on  other,  stuck  in  the  nozzle,  will  halve  stream  if 
unmanageable.  The  force  pump  for  spraying  trees  will  do  good 
work  on  inside  walls  and  space  behind  them  with  kerosene  emul- 
sion, made  from  one-half  bar  of  soap,  one  gallon  hot  water,  and 
one  gallon  kerosene,  well  churned  together.  Here  appears  the 
beauty  of  movable  nests  and  perches  which  can  be  taken  to  the 
light  of  day  and  reached  in  every  part.  I  lately  saw  a  fine  new 
henhouse,  with  great  economy  of  space,  but,  under  nailed  perch- 
es, were  nests  built  into  the  wall.  I  told  its  owner  I  trusted  she 
was  accustomed  to  spending  much  time  on  her  knees,  and  sug- 
gested she  quarantine  every  fowl  bought,  thus  not  infesting  quar- 
ters so  difficult  of  access. 

Various  Insecticides.  Oil  of  sassafras,  lavender,  or  cedar, 
each  about  five  cents  an  ounce,  are  strong,  when  one  can  not 
stop  to  apply  more  of  the  cheaper  kerosene.    Gasoline  and  bi- 


PARASITES  AND  MICROBES.  125 

sulphide  of  carbon,  said  to  be  good,  are  exceedingly  explosive 
in  presence  of  any  fire  or  lantern.  Cedar,  elder,  sassafras,  per- 
simmon, and  eucalyptus  twigs,  tansy,  tobacco,  wormwood  leaves 
and  onion  skins  are  all  more  or  less  distasteful,  and  can  be 
placed  in  nests  or  tied  to  perches. 

A  frequent  sweeping  of  walls  and  ceiling  is  helpful.  Two 
coats  of  hot  whitewash  a  year,  make  the  interior  of  house  ligiit 
and  sweet,  and  reach  all  these  creatures.  Slosh  it  on,  remem- 
bering that  execution,  not  art,  is  your  purpose.  I  keep  water  on 
the  stove,  to  thin  and  reheat  the  whitewash  as  often  as  necessary. 
Salt  helps  stick  it  to  exterior  walls,  but  might  "kill"  the  odors 
I  put  inside,  like  one  ounce  carbolic  acid  to  a  pail  of  wash,  or 
sulphur,  turpentine  and  kerosene  at  pleasure.  When  stirring 
these  in,  turn  away  your  face  from  the  hot  fumes. 

A  pound  or  two  of  brimstone,  smouldering  two  hours  on  a 
good  bed  of  coals  and  charcoal,  in  an  old  iron  kettle,  set  in  a 
dishpan,  will  produce  a  satisfactory  fumigation.  A  poker  thrust 
and  left  in  mass,  prevents  packing  and  helps  burning.  First  get 
every  hen  out,  and  tightly  close  doors  and  windows.  A  doctor 
who  has  had  hospital  experience  told  me  there  is  little  danger 
of  sulphur  smoke  taking  fire,  but  I  faithfully  stay  near  the  hen- 
house, and  look  through  window.  Water  in  the  dishpan  adds 
safety,  and  sLeam  has  an  affinity  for  and  carries  sulphur  fumes. 

The  droppings  should  be  removed  daily,  if  possible.  Neither 
dropping  board  nor  ground  is  improved  by  saturation.  Wood 
ashes  destroy  much  manurial  value,  hence  coal  ashes,  road  dust, 
sawdust,  or  autumn  leaves,  are  more  economical  beddings  to  re- 
ceive the  manure,  which  is  so  strong  it  needs  be  composted,  be- 
fore use,  with  three  or  four  times  as  much  rubbish. 

A  fowl  may  gape  because  it  is  sleepy,  or  has  swallowed  a 
feather,  or  outside  of  its  neck  is  bitten  by  gray  lice,  but  the  dan- 
gerous disease  Gapes  is  caused  by  a  round  red  worm,  syngamus 
trachealis,  attached  to  inside  windpipe.  This  worm  appears  fork- 
ed, but  in  reality  consists  of  a  male  and  female  permanently 
united.  The  mouth  or  sucker  of  each  part  draws  blood  from  the 
mucous  membrane.  Affected  fowls  droop,  cough,  open  their 
mouths  wide,  and,  with  a  double  curving  movement  of  neck,  gasp 
for  breath.  The  disease  is  most  common  in  July  and  August,  and 
particularly  destructive  to  the  young  on  old  farms  where  the 
taint  lingers  from  year  to  year.  The  infection  comes  from  swal- 
lowing embryos  with  dew  and  impure  water,  or  adult  worms 
coughed  up  by  other  fowls,  or  earth  worms  which  in  their  di- 
gestive tract,  contain  the  syngamus. 

Remedies.  Air  slaked  lime  sprinkled  about,  cleanses  the 
premises.  Frogs  keep  our  tanks  much  freer  from  all  impurities 
than  fish  did.  Drinking  water  with  a  little  camphor  in  is  excel- 
lent for  an  affected  flock.  A  piece  of  raw  salt  pork,  size  of  a 
corn  kernel,  given  each  fowl,  is  a  pretty  sure  cure.  Keep  chicks 
and  poults  out  of  the  dew. 


DISEASES  OF  POULTRY 

A  Classified  List  of  Principal  Diseases,  With  Their  Causes, 
Symptoms  and  Cures. 

A  classification  of  diseases  by  their  location  is  less  scientific 
than  one  by  their  causes,  but  amateurs  see  first  the  location  of 
trouble,  then  search  for  its  cause. 

Diseases  of  the  Head. 

WHITE  COMB,  SCURVY  OR  FAVUS.  Causes:  Decayed 
food,  impure  water,  overcrowded,  ill-ventilated,  dark,  dirty  quar- 
ters. It  is  a  contagious,  fungoid  growth.  Symptoms:  White, 
warty,  scaly,  expanding  patches  on  comb  and  wattles.  It  may 
extend  over  body,  become  serious  around  vent,  and  gradually  de- 
stroy plumage.  Treatment:  Salt,  charcoal  and  sulphur  in  the 
food,  as  already  directed,  and  more  vegetable  elements.  W.  B. 
Lloyd  recommends  an  ointment  of  one-fourth  ounce  tumeric 
powder  with  an  ounce  of  cocoanut  oil.  Prof.  Neumann,  1  part  of 
carbolic  acid  to  20  parts  of  soft  soap.     Dilute  if  too  strong. 

CHICKEN  POX.  Causes:  Similar  to  above.  Symptoms: 
Successive  crops  of  contagious,  watery  blisters,  chiefly  on  head 
and  neck,  though  often  under  wings  and  over  whole  body.  Treat- 
ment: Diet  as  above.  Wash  with  castile  soap  suds.  A  table- 
spoon of  Douglass  mixture  in  each  quart  of  drinking  water  tones 
the  system. 

SWELLED  HEAD.  Causes:  Similar,  if  the  trouble  is  not 
connected  with  a  cold. 

Symptoms:  Fever,  drowsiness,  general  swelling  of  the  head. 
Treatment:  Some  have  success  with  a  dessertspoon  of  citrate 
of  magnesia  and  ten  drops  of  nitre,  added  to  half  a  pint  of 
drinking  water.    Anoint  with  sweet  oil. 

APOPLEXY  OR  EPILEPSY.  Causes:  Undue  flow  of  blood 
to  the  head,  resulting  from  overfeeding  grains  or  spices.  Symp- 
toms: Staggering,  fluttering  around  a  circle,  falling  down,  jerk- 
ings  of  the  limbs  and  neck.  Treatment:  Hold  the  head  a  few 
minutes  under  a  small  stream  of  cold  water.  Give  a  teaspoon 
dose  of  castor  oil.  Follow  with  a  light,  largely  vegetable,  diet 
and  plenty  of  gravel. 

FROSTED  COMB  AND  WATTLES.  Causes:  Exposure  to 
severe  cold,  especially  at  night.  Symptoms:  Edges  of  comb  and 
wattles  first  purple,  then  pale.     Treatment:     At  night,  put  any 


DISEASES.  127 

choice  rooster  in  a  barrel  with  an  old  carpet  thrown  over.  Ap- 
ply a  little  vaseline,  glycerine,  or  tincture  of  myrrh  to  comb. 

COLDS.  Causes:  Lack  of  sunny  places  for  exercise,  ex- 
posure to  dampness,  draughty  roosting  places.  Symptoms: 
Varied,  like  those  of  a  human  subject.  Sneezing,  watery  or  mat- 
terated  eyes,  a  slight  discharge  from  one  or  both  nostrils,  face 
swelled  on  one  or  both  sides,  hoarseness.  Treatment:  Give  each 
affected  fowl  a  1  grain  quinine  pill,  or  put  12  drops  spongia  or  6 
drops  tincture  of  aconite  to  each  pint  of  their  drinking  water. 
Assafetida,  5  cents'  worth,  tied  in  a  rag,  can  be  used  in  drinking 
dishes  sometimes. 

CATARRH.  Causes:  Numerous  colds.  Symptoms:  Like 
colds,  but  chronic  and  milder.  Treatment:  Same  as  for  colds. 
Tincture  of  iron,  one-half  teaspoon  in  a  quart  of  drinking  water 
is  a  good  tonic. 

Diseases  of  the  Throat  and  Lungs 

CANKER  AND  DIPHTHERIA.  Causes:  Violent  colds,  in 
filthy  surroundings.  Canker  is  milder,  and  located  in  the  mouth, 
while  diphtheria  dangerously  clogs  throat  and  windpipe.  Symp- 
toms: Stiff  neck,  difficult  swallowing,  noisy  breathing,  a  red  then 
purple  mouth  and  throat,  filled  with  a  thick  mucus,  ulcers,  and 
finally  a  membrane.  Treatment:  Warmth  and  quietness  are  es- 
sential. Open  the  bill,  and  powder  mouth  and  throat  with  a  mix- 
ture of  pulverized  borax  and  chlorate  of  potash,  or  with  powder- 
ed burnt  alum.  Feed  only  cooked  food.  I  feed  a  little  warm 
bread  and  milk,  sprinkled  with  a  trifle  of  mustard,  pepper,  or 
ginger.  Disinfect  the  quarters  by  sulphur  fumigations  and  scat- 
ter slaked  lime.  Kill  and  burn  all  severe  cases,  because,  both 
through  the  air  and  by  use  of  a  common  drinking  dish,  other 
fowls  rapidly  catch  canker  and  diphtheria,  as  well  as  roup. 

ROUP.  Causes:  Neglected  colds.  The  word  roup  is  prob- 
ably derived  from  croup.  The  affection  is  distinguished  from 
simple  colds  by  its  offensive  smell.  The  name  roup,  though 
often,  and  perhaps  properly,  applied  to  canker  and  diphtheria, 
describes  a  more  generalized  and  lingering  complaint.  It  closely 
answers  to  influenza  and  grippe  in  man.  Symptoms:  All  or  any 
of  those  in  colds,  canker  and  diphtheria.  Sometimes  the  dis- 
charges from  eyes,  nostrils  and  mouth  grow  gummy  and  cheesy. 
Fever,  loss  of  appetite,  loose  bowels  and  emaciation  attend.  Se- 
vere cases  last  from  five  to  twelve  days,  mild  cases  may  linger 
for  weeks,  recover,  or  periodically  relapse.  Some  are  left  with 
permanent  Bronchitis  or  Asthma,  showed  by  whistling  breath, 
frequent  twisting  of  neck  and  swallowing.  Treatment:  In  addi- 
tion to  remedies  earlier,  I  have  found  kerosene  applied  to  throat 
and  nostrils  an  excellent  counter-irritant.  The  drinking  water 
should  be  flavored  with  camphor  or  alum. 

CONSUMPTION  AND  TUBERCULOSIS.  Causes:  Colds, 
roup,  insufficient  food,  poor  constitution  inherited  from  roupy, 


128  POULTRY  MANUAL. 

consumptive,  weak  or  inbred  ancestors.  Symptoms:  Persistent 
cough,  emaciation  and  diarrhea.  Tuberculosis  is  the  more  in- 
tense. Treatment:  Kill,  burn  or  bury  all  evident  cases.  Never 
purchase  nor  breed  from  tuberculous  fowls.  Tuberculous  per- 
sons and  fowls  on  a  place  are  sources  of  danger  to  each  other 
and  all  others. 

PIP.  Causes:  Like  a  furred  tongue  and  dry  cough  in  man, 
pip  is  a  sign  of  an  inflamed  mucous  membrane,  from  colds,  roup 
or  indigestion.  Symptoms:  A  cheesy  or  horny  accumulation  on 
end  of  tongue,  and  a  sharp  spasmodic  cough.  Treatment:  Dis- 
cover and  remove  the  cause. 

GAPES.     See  Parsites. 

Digestive  Tract  Diseases. 

CROP  BOUND.  Causes:  Dry  hay,  rowen  or  grass  roots  im- 
pacted in  crop.  Pieces  of  bone,  bacon  rind,  etc.,  lodged  across 
opening  out  of  crop.  Symptoms:  Continued  hardness  of  crop. 
Treatment:  Proper  feeding  has  yielded  me  but  two  cases  in 
twelve  years.  Mix  a  teaspoon  each  of  castor  oil  and  hot  milk, 
and  pour  through  throat  into  crop,  then,  with  your  fingers  gently 
knead  the  hard  mass,  working  it  in  or  out,  as  may  seem  most 
hopeful. 

INFLAMMATION  OF  CROP.  Causes:  Irregular  feeding  and 
watering,  overdoses  of  spices  or  patent  foods,  swallowing  un- 
slaked lime,  etc.  Symptoms:  Soft,  swelled,  dropsical  crop. 
Treatment:  Empty  crop  by  holding  head  downwards.  To  com- 
plete the  clearing,  give  a  baking  soda  pill  the  size  of  a  pea.  Feed 
lightly  on  cooked  food  or  table  scraps,  several  days.  Make  the 
drinking  water  slightly  acid  with  vinegar,  alum  or  nitric  acid. 
Try  flaxseed  tea's  soothing  effect  on  lingering  cases.  When  a 
whole  flock  was  affected,  evidently  from  some  impurity  of  food 
and  water,  I  successfully  prescribed  soda  in  the  drinking  water 
one  day,  followed  by  quinine  in  the  water  for  two  or  three  days, 
each  solution  no  stronger  than  fowls  deprived  of  other  drink 
would  willingly  take. 

INFLAMMATION  OF  THE  LIVER.  Causes:  Too  much  corn 
and  other  starchy  foods,  filthy  surroundings,  neglected  crop 
diseases.  Symptoms:  Comb  first  purple,  then  black,  dumpish- 
ness,  yellow,  watery  diarrhea.  Treatment:  Allowing  no  drink 
but  milk,  lime  water  or  quinine  water,  cures  early  cases.  One- 
half  teaspoonful  sulphate  of  magnesia  dissolved  in  water,  given 
once  a  day,  combined  with  a  vegetable  diet  is  recomXuended. 
I  find  chopped  raw  onions  the  best  food  for  either  chicks  or  fowls 
affected  with  any  kind  of  liver  complaint. 

ANAEMIA.  'Causes:  Overcrowding,  defective  light  and  ven- 
tilation, insufficient  food.  Symptoms:  Pallid,  lopping  comb,  white 
tongue  and  mouth,  emaciation,  languor,  scanty  voidings.  The 
term   anaemia    signifies    poverty   of   blood,    general   invalidism. 


DISEASES.  129 

Treatment:  Remove  causes.  Put  a  tablespoon  of  Douglass  mix- 
ture in  each  quart  of  drinking  water. 

DIARRHEA.  Causes:  Chills,  coarse,  uncooked,  unvaried  or 
sour  food.  Symptoms:  Continued  looseness  of  bowels  and  thirst. 
Treatment:  A  little  baking  soda  in  their  drinking  water  sweetens 
and  stimulates;  lime  similarly  used,  soothes;  alum  disinfects; 
while  liquid  carbolic  acid,  one-half  teaspoon  to  one  quart  of 
water  is  a  regular  germ  killer.  Use  whatever  one  the  severity 
of  the  case  demands. 

DYSENTERY.  Causes:  Neglected  diarrhea,  filth.  Symp- 
toms: A  watery  discharge,  often  streaked  with  blood.  Treat- 
ment: As  above. 

CHOLERA.  Causes:  A  contagion  which  has  originated  in 
filth.  Symptoms:  Pale  combs,  afterwards  dark,  drooping  wings, 
thirst,  weakness,  frequent  frothy  voidings  like  sulphur  and  water. 
This  is  distinguished  from  liver  complaints  and  simple  diarrhea 
by  its  rapid  execution  and  spread.  Treatment:  As  for  diarrhea. 
Joseph  Wallace  has  said  there  is  no  sure  specific.  Prevent  by 
rigorous  cleanliness  and  by  including  charcoal  and  salt  in  the 
food.  Allow  no  one  from  cholera-infested  places  to  come  near 
your  quarters,  nor  visit  theirs.  Isolate  every  suspected  bird. 
Kill  and  burn  or  deeply  bury  severe  cases.  Follow  the  disease  by 
thorough  whitewashing  of  hen-houses.  Spade  up  the  ground 
around,  and  sprinkle  on  ashes  of  slaked  lime. 

A  few  years  ago,  some  prominent  shippers  at  Waukegan,  111., 
who  often  temporarily  kept  hundreds  of  fowls  crowded  in  small 
yards,  gave,  what  I  have  tested  with  the  utmost  satisfaction,  as 
their  secret  of  freedom  from  cholera,  the  following  condition 
powder,  to  be  used  whenever  bowel  trouble  is  apprehended,  a 
heaping  tablespoon  or  so  for  four  quarts  of  mash.  Equal  parts 
rosin,  alum,  sulphur,  red  pepper,  powdered  together. 

DOUGLASS  MIXTURE,  the  tonic  most  often  recommended 
for  poultry,  is  made  as  follows:  Dissolve  a  pound  of  copperas 
in  two  gallons  of  water,  then  add  two  ounces  sulphuric  acid. 
Make  in  a  stone  jar  or  jug,  and  keep  well  covered  or  corked. 

Diseases  of  the  Oviduct. 

EGG  BOUND.  Causes:  A  heavy  grain  diet  and  lack  of  ex- 
ercise, producing  internal  fat  which  clogs  the  organs  and  weak- 
ens the  muscles.  Symptoms:  Depressed  tail,  frequent  and  use- 
less visits  to  the  nest.  Treatment:  Dip  a  finger  in  sweet  oil  or 
hen's  oil,  then  introduce  it  into  the  vent.  Put  the  hen  by  her- 
self, in  a  dry  place,  feed  on  soft,  non-starchy  food  and  warm 
water. 

SOFT  SHELLED  EGGS.  Causes:  In  addition  to  above,  over- 
doses of  spices  or  patent  foods,  worm  in  bowels,  ventral  gleet, 
fright.  Treatment:  Correct  by  lime  water,  oyster  shells,  cut 
bone,  and  a  vegetable  diet. 


130  POULTRY  MANUAL. 

Diseases  of  the  Leg  and  Foot. 

LEG  WEAKNESS.  Causes:  Fattening  and  stimulating,  but 
not  bone-forming  food.  Lack  of  gravel.  Symptoms:  Slow  walk- 
ing, trembling,  then  sitting  down  upon  the  legs.  Females  are 
more  subject  than  males,  heavy  than  light  breeds,  and  young 
than  old  fowls.  Treatment:  Bathe  the  legs  daily  with  tincture 
of  arnica  or  Johnson's  anodyne  liniment.  Give  a  one  grain 
quinine  pill,  plenty  of  gravel,  cut  bone  and  vegetable  food. 

RHEUMATISM.  Causes:  Same  as  above,  and  exposure  to 
dampness.  Symptoms:  Fever,  swollen,  tender  joints,  drawn  up 
toes,  and  final  inability  to  walk.  Treatment:  Similar  to  above. 
Dr.  Sanborn  recommends  as  drink,  15  grains  iodide  of  potassium 
in  one  quart  of  water. 

SCALY  LEG.     See  Parasites. 

BUMBLE  FOOT.  Causes:  Jumping  from  a  high  perch,  or 
roosting  on  a  narrow  one  having  sharp  edges.  Symptoms:  Bot- 
tom of  foot  puffed,  hot  and  tender,  matter  gathers  and  a  tumor 
follows.  Treatment:  Paint  with  tincture  of  iodine.  If  pus  has 
formed,  make  a  cross-shaped  incision  in  the  swelling  with  a 
clean,  slender  knife,  and  put  the  fowl  on  clean  straw  a  day  or  so. 

BROKEN  BONES.  Treatment:  Immediately  kill  fowls  with 
broken  wings  or  thighs,  before  inflammation  starts,  and  they  can 
be  eaten.  Put  a  bird  with  broken  shank  by  itself  and  let  alone, 
or  straighten  bone,  wind  a  two-inch  cotton  bandage  around  frac- 
ture, place  two  thin  pine  splints  opposite  each  other,  up  and 
down  over  the  bandage,  take  two  more  turns  with  the  lattei, 
over  splints,  cut  off  cloth  and  firmly  sew  end  down. 

DEPLUMING  SCABIES.     See  Parasites. 

FEATHER  AND  EGG  EATING.  Causes:  Mr.  Gilbert's  ex- 
periments, at  the  Ottawa  Station,  demonstrated  that  lack  of 
exercise  is  chief  cause,  hence  the  small,  nervous  breeds  are  most 
troublesome.  My  experience  is  that  layers  always  get  these 
habits  first,  then  teach  non-layers,  hence  some  needed  food  ele- 
ments are  lacking,  like  meat,  salt,  etc.  Treatment:  See  "Hous- 
ing" and  "Foods." 

General  Directions. 

Learn  to  recognize  and  arrest  disease  early,  not  wait  till 
all  the  symptoms  appear,  for  they  may  not  be  present  in  any  one 
case. 

Several  medicines  mentioned  are  poisons,  keep  them  strictly 
from  children's  reach.  Never  mix  nor  pour  carbolic  acid,  sul- 
phuric acid,  etc.,  with  your  mouth  open.  Use  earthen  or  wood- 
en dishes,  rather  than  tin,  for  medicine. 

Do  not  overdose  such  little  creatures  as  fowls.  I  found 
lime  water,  which,  used  two  or  three  days,  stops  diarrhea,  would, 
if  long  continued,  produce  the  same  complaint.     A  little  kero- 


DISEASES. 


131 


sene  so  scattered  parasites,  that  I  poured  it  on,  and  made  my 
hens  lame  and  scabby. 

If  possible,  separate  every  sick  bird  from  the  well.  Un- 
less your  fowls  are  costly,  or  you  wish  to  experiment,  kill  in- 
stead of  doctor,  because  every  25  cent  invalid  will  cost  you  $2 
in  time  and  medicine,  and  may  never  become  fit  to  eat  nor 
breed  from. 

Bury  or  burn  the  carcasses,  because  hogs,  dogs,  and  even 
hens  themselves,  will  eat  them,  spreading  contagion.  Eating 
dead  hens  teaches  animals  to  attack  live  ones. 

"Josh  Billings"  says,  "The  best  way  to  cure  anything  is  to 
stop  it  before  it  happens."  Chinese  doctors  are  hired  by  the 
year  to  keep  families  well.  Their  salary  only  stops  when  their 
patients  get  ill. 

Carefully  read  the  causes  of  foregoing  diseases,  and  see 
whether  past  or  present  carelessness  is  not  mainly  responsible 
and  most  expensive. 

The  theory  is  doubtless  familiar  and  true  that  air  and  water 
are  full  of  germs  which  cause  and  aggravate  many  diseases.  But 
science's  latest  researches  prove  that  normal  healthy  blood  of 
any  animals  is  one  of  the  best  destroyers  of  all  classes  of 
germs,  and  kills  in  proportion  to  its  quality  and  richness.  The 
lesson  is  plain.  Do  not  reduce  that  blood  by  poor  shelter,  im- 
proper food  and  parsites. 


FARM  POULTRY 


Practical,  Successful  Methods  of  Hatching  and  Rearing  the 
Farm  Flock. 

"Counting  chickens  before  they  hatch,"is  wise,  if  we  count 
both  what  we  have  and  those  we  expect.  A  few  well  cared  for 
are  better  than  many  neglected  fowls.  I  know  a  man  whose 
250  hens  last  year  ran  him  $20  behind,  while  in  his  same  neigh- 
borhood, a  woman's  50  hens  cleared  her  over  $60.  Five  times 
the  poultry  we  now  have  will  yield  us  five  times  our  present 
profit  only  if  we  devote  five  times  the  amount  of  space,  care 
and  study.  Begin  at  the  foot  of  the  poultry  ladder,  climb  up, 
and  never  overcrowd  quarters. 

Prevent  broodiness  by  a  varied  diet.  When  P.  H.  Jacobs 
gave  his  Leghorns  heavy  grain  rations,  they  were  broody. 
Brahmas  in  the  next  pen,  differently  fed,  were  not.  The  suc- 
ceeding year  he  reversed  conditions  and  results. 

I  would  never  break  up  sitters  by  immersion  in  water,  since 
I  have  heard  of  sudden  deaths  thus  caused.  Place  in  a  light, 
airy  room,  with  plenty  of  water  and  a  laxative  diet,  but  no 
nests.  A  rooster  would  divert  their  thoughts,  but  all  the  other 
cocks  who  can  get  at  him  will  insult  and  fight  him  upon  his 
release  from  temporary  confinement.  Broody  fowls,  treated  at 
once,  break  up  easiest.  When  allowed  to  try  sitting  for  a  week 
or  more  they  find  some  prosy  elements  of  work  and  break  up 
most  permanently. 

Suppose  you  purpose,  by  culling  and  selling  adults,  to  make 
room  for  chickens,  you  can  tell  age  of  hens  by  employing  a  25- 
cent  marker. 

Poulterers  have  told  me  about  using  punches  for  leather, 
conductors'  punches,  etc.  I  operate  upon  half-grown  chickens, 
place  their  feet  on  a  barrel-head  or  something  solid,  and  dis- 
cover no  sign  of  pain.  A  tiny  circle  is  taken  out  of  the  web  be- 
tween the  toes.  By  varying  position  or  number  of  marks,  and 
remembering  their  meaning,  a  flock's  whole  history  can  be 
written  on  their  feet.  An  old  hen  has  paler,  rougher  legs,  with 
a  neck  apparently  longer  from  shrinking  of  shoulders.  Large 
fowls  are  rarely  profitable  after  the  second  year,  or  smaller 
breeds  after  the  third. 

Winter  layers  promise  plenty  of  early  sitters,  and  only  early 
chickens  get  mature  enough  to  become  winter  layers.  June  and 
July  chickens  grow  fast,  have  size,  but  not  that  maturity.     I 


B^ARM   POULTRY.  133 

found  January  hatches  would  moult  by  December.  March  ones 
were  taken  by  hawks,  which  were  raising  their  young  then,  so 
the  middle  of  April  is  my  customary  hatching  time,  which  I 
would  not  prolong  beyond  May  15th. 

According  to  the  experiments  of  C.  E.  Spires,  if  the  roosters 
are  separated  from  hens,  during  winter,  mating  should  be  at 
least  five  days  before  setting  eggs,  if  none  have  yet  been  laid, 
and  eight  days  if  the  hens  are  already  laying,  eggs  within  them 
then  having  various  positions  and  stages  of  development.  Fer- 
tility lasts  ten  to  fifteen  days  after  separation. 

A  dozen  hens  with  a  rooster  under  village  conditions,  and 
twenty-five  with  him  on  a  farm  are  very  good  averages. 

My  tame  hens  are  good  incubators,  always  hatching  over 
70  per  cent,  while  old  users  of  wooden  incubators  claim  about 
50  per  cent  average.  Ventilation,  moisture  and  temperature 
never  perplex  biddy. 

A  thorough  trial  of  sprinkling  eggs  convinced  me  that  it  is 
not  advisable  in  Wisconsin.  In  Colorado  and  dry  climates,  that 
is  sometimes  done  near  the  close  of  the  hatch  with  warm  water 
and  at  night  when  the  sitter  will  not  be  terrified. 

Setting  the  Hen. 

Never  set  a  thin  egg,  because  it  will  break  and  smear  the 
others,  which  must  then  be  wiped  off  with  warm  water  as  quick- 
ly as  possible,  or  the  chicks  inside  will  smother.  While  break- 
ing eggs  for  household  use,  learn  to  tell  thin  shells  by  their  feel- 
ing. By  that  method,  I  had,  one  year,  not  a  broken  egg  in  any 
sitter's  nest.  A  shining  shell,  though  thick,  is  generally  brittle. 
I  once  received  eleven  chicks  from  a  sitting  I  selected  and  my- 
self brought  home.  From  the  same  place  a  few  days  later  came 
a  fresher  sitting,  brought  by  a  boy  who  swung  the  basket  un- 
covered in  a  cold  rain  and  climbed  our  fence  instead  of  opening 
the  gate.  There  were  one  flat  and  two  cracked  eggs,  with  an 
outcome  of  seven  chicks. 

An  egg  is  composed  of  rings,  inside  each  other,  separated  by 
delicate  skins.  If  these  membranes  become  broken,  hatching  is 
hopeless. 

Eggs  brought  on  the  cars  need  to  rest  a  few  hours  before 
setting,  so  that  any  portion  near  rupture,  may  resume  its  nor- 
mal condition.  A  Lake  Park,  Minnesota,  lady  had  good  success 
with  a  setting  two  weeks  on  its  way,  around  by  the  Great  Lakes. 
Quality  and  care  are  more  than  nest  fillings,  of  which  I  have 
tested  a  great  variety.  Dry  earth  with  a  little  hay  on  top,  clean 
sand  or  chaff,  and  fine  shavings  are  all  good.  A  pet  biddy 
hatched  every  egg,  eighteen,  inside  a  horse-collar  on  a  bare 
board  shelf.  My  favorite  filling  for  every  purpose  is  sawdust, 
which  retains  heat  well  and  shapes  easily.  An  old  spoon  cleans 
off  the  top  at  any  time. 

My  favorite  number  of  eggs  to  set  is  eleven.     Early  broods 


134  POULTRY  MANUAL. 

cannot  be  large  or  doubled,  like  summer  ones,  because  coni- 
plete  covering  and  warmth  are  so  essential.  I  like  nests  not  too 
dishing,  well  packed  in  corners,  and  warmed  before  introducing 
real  eggs,  hence  drill  the  biddies  a  few  days  on  Gourd  or  China 
nest  eggs. 

As  the  latter  are  such  cold  things  to  hug  a  hen's  vitals,  I 
raise  Japanese  egg  gourds.  Three  months  brings  them  to  ma- 
turity. They  need  poor  land  and  late  planting,  or  grow  too 
large.  I  wait  till  T  have  about  a  dozen  broody  hens  ready,  be- 
cause a  poulterer  can  care  for  that  number  in  the  same  time  he 
would  fewer.  Since  a  few  hens  show  "ways  that  are  dark  and 
tricks  that  are  vain,"  always  leave  one  or  two  extra  or  substi- 
tute sitters  unprovided  with  real  eggs.  I  tell  any  sitter  dis- 
posed to  come  off  her  nest  irregularly,  there  are  "other  fish  in 
the  sea"  and  other  cluckers  in  the  house,  then  throw  her  out 
and  try  a  substitute.  In  two  or  three  days,  all  behave  like 
clockwork,  and  I  can  be  gone  hours.  They  seemingly  sdy,  like 
Scott's  hero, 

"Come  one,  come  all!    this  rock  shall  fly 
From  its  firm  base  as  soon  as  I." 

I  formerly  had  and  tried  a  separate  sitting  room,  putting  in 
drink  and  grain  for  the  sitters  to  take  at  pleasure,  but  when  one 
came  off,  the  others  imitated  her,  and  they  got  mixed  in  nests 
and  feelings.  Now  I  set  them  where  they  choose,  because  early, 
before  all  get  to  laying  and  sitting,  there  is  plenty  of  room  in  my 
hen-house. 

My  nests  have  a  narrow  front  platform,  not  large  enough  for 
hens  to  live  on,  but  so  that  one  jumping  up  m  the  wrong  spot, 
can  walk  along  till  she  finds  a  suitable  place.  This  illustration 
shows  my  simple  protectors  for  sitters,  a  wide*  shingle  held  in 
place  by  a  brick. 

Later  I  tacked  up  curtain  of  cloth  or  paper,  and  a  neighbor 
screwed  on  side  of  each  nest,  a  shingle,  just  loose  enough  to 
shove  and  tight  enough  to  stay. 

Accustom  the  hens  to  these  protectors.  Every  morning, 
take  all  the  broody  ones  off  together,  replace  protectors  to  keep 
out  layers,  and  see  that  the  sitters  have  a  dust  bath,  water,  and 
plenty  of  that  corn  which  undesirably  fats  at  other  times,  but 
now  maintains  just  the  heat  we  want.  If  a  sitter  appears  dull 
or  shivering  I  add  a  little  wheat,  bread  and  milk,  or  something 
to  sustain  her  appetite.  As  they  come  back,  one  by  one,  I  open 
protectors,  and  in  twenty  minutes  the  work  is  done  for  all  day. 

I  mix  eggs  or  chicks,  so  broods  are  pretty  uniform,  hence 
no  hen  can  "stick  up  her  nose"  at  another's  chickens  and  peck 
them. 

The  sitter  is  dusted  with  insect  powder  at  frequent  intervals 
throughout.  Grease  must  never  be  used  on  her,  because  it 
spoils  the  hatch  by  closing  the  pores  of  eggs. 

The  most  critical  time  is  at  first.     A  consecutive  twenty-four 


FARM  POULTRY. 


135 


hours'  heat,  insures  the  best  hatches,  so  I  set  my  trained  hens 
in  the  morning,  directly  after  they  are  fed,  but  should  need  to 
set  wild  ones  at  night. 

Taking  off  the  Hatch. 

When  the  18th  or  19th  day  comes,  I  no  longer  take  off  the 
sitters,  because  the  shells  are  brittle  then,  and  many  pipping 
chicks  would  be  crushed  on  biddy's  return.     Food  in  a  dish  or 


Hens    With    Broods    on   Farm    Range. 


pan  is  offered.  Some  sitters  partake  gladly,  others  refuse. 
None  but  an  old  experienced  hand,  or  one  experienced  if  not 
old,  should  try  to  find  empty  shells.  Those  in  plain  sight  I  pull 
out,  because  biddy  has  her  own  way  of  working  them  to  the 
edge,  and  cuddling  the  chicks  near  her.  I  have  known  hens  to 
die  when  set  the  second  or  third  time,  hence  never  tax  biddy 
beyond  the  first  sitting. 

Chicks  need  no  food  for  twenty-four  hours.  Then  the 
clucker  is  put  under  my  left  arm,  her  legs  held  by  that  hand, 
and  her  chicks  are  carried  in  a  little  basket  lined  with  hay 
brought  warm  from  the  house.  If  stormy,  a  woolen  cloth  is  laid 
over.  The  hay  in  the  coop  has  also  been  warmed,  is  fine,  well 
packed  with  a  cane,  and  not  deep. 


136  POULTRY  MANUAL. 

Chills  is  the  worst  enemy  to  chicks,  and  lice  comie  next, 
each  severer  than  improper  food,  because  a  healthy,  hearty  sys- 
tem can  throw  off  much  of  the  latter,  while  a  congested  or  en- 
feebled one  can  do  nothing.  Keep  chicks'  toes  dry,  their  backs 
warm,  and  their  bodies  clean,  then  they  will  comb  their  own 
heads. 

The  coops  are  whitewashed  every  fall,  and  stored  away, 
ready  for  instant  use  in  spring.  I  once  whitewashed  a  coop, 
and  put  in  brood  same  day.  They  died  and  the  hen  nearly.  For 
an  average  hen  and  brood,  about  four  square  feet  of  floor,  is 
right.  My  coops  are  24x26  inches,  19  inches  high  and  behind,  and 
22  in  front,  with  2x4  pieces  on  the  bottom  to  keep  them  from 
the  damp  ground. 

A  floor  is  necessary  to  guard  against  rats  and  skunks.  It 
might  run  in  and  out,  on  two  cleats,  thus  being  easily  cleaned. 
An  *'A"  coop,  with  doors  and  floors,  is  good. 

Convenient  handles  can  be  made  of  old  harness,  and  buttons 
of  wood.  Before  I  had  everything  buttoned,  looked,  or  other- 
wise securely  fastened,  a  few  chicks  were  smashed  by  slamming 
doors.  A  lath  yard  with  top,  and  one  open  end  fitting  up  to  or 
over  the  coop  makes  a  han  comfortable,  yet  prevents  her  drag- 
ging a  young  brood  around  in  dew  or  storm.  With  their  mother 
thus  restrained,  chicks  cultivate  a  garden  finely.  I  lodge  them 
in  a  hen-house  at  three  weeks'  age,  before  they  are  weaned,  so 
their  mother  can  introduce  and  teach  them  to  roost.  A  tame 
hen  can  be  driven  in.  A  wild  brood  must  go  into  coop,  as  usu- 
al, and  after  dark  be  carried  to  the  house.  When  coops  are  put 
away,  the  open  ends  of  coop  yards  are  placed  together,  two  and 
two,  making  several  complete  yards,  which  I  keep  full  of  grain 
for  chickens  to  work  on.     Slats  are  2^/^  inches  apart. 


A  Long  Poultry  House  on  a  Farm  Where  the  Owner  Regards 

Poultry  as  One  of  the  Best  Paying  Departments 

of  Farm  Industry. 


FARM  POULTRY. 


137 


Brood  Coops  For  Early  Chicks  Which  May  be  Well  Ventilat- 
ed by   Raising  the  Front  and  Opening  the  Window. 


Half-fledged  fowls  suffer  so  from  sunburn  and  lack  of  shade 
that  I  try  to  provide   sunflower  groves. 

Feeding  the  Chicks. 

The  general  principles  of  feeding,  on  which  I  once  raised 
200  chicks  out  of  201  hatched,  and  again  199  out  of  207,  have 
already  been  given.  As  a  first  food  for  little  creatures  of  every 
kind,  I  find  nothing  else  equals  bread  and  milk.  Rolled  oatmeal, 
cottage  cheese,  cut  bone,  custard  and  onion  tops  furnish  variety. 
My  favorite  pudding,  one-third  each  of  shorts,  corn  meal,  and 
bran  or  ground  oats,  is  introduced  by  degrees.  Eggs  or  lean 
meat,  boiled  and  chopped,  are  rather  forcing,  hence  fed  only 
every  other  day.  Chop  the  shell  with  the  egg.  If  egg  shells 
are  always  crushed  before  thrown  out,  egg-eating  may  not  thus 
be  learned.  Wheat  is  cracked  in  our  family  coffee  mill,  till 
chicks  are  able  to  swallow  whole  kernels.  Corn  is  not  fed  till 
they  are  nearly  grown,  but  gravel  is  constantly  around.  I  do 
not  sift  out  the  fine  for  them,  but  give  that  the  hens  have  picked 
over. 

For  the  first  two  weeks,  chicks  do  best  fed  often  and  little 
at  a  time,  five  meals  a  day,  then  four,  then  three.     A  general 


138 


POULTRY  MANUAL. 


rule  for  100  chicks  is  1  quart  of  food  a  day  the  first  week,  two 
quarts  of  food  a  day  the  second  week,  three  quarts  a  day  the 
third  week,  four  quarts  the  fourth,  etc.  Better  give  all  they 
will  eat  up  clean,  leaving  none  mussed  nor  sour. 

Clean  boards,  shingles  or  pieces  of  brown  paper  make  good 
tables,  for  it  is  a  mistaken  idea  that  chicks  thrive  on  filth. 

Regularity  establishes  best  health  and  habits.  Fowls  will 
not  then  loaf  around,  waiting  for  a  bite,  but  dig  till  their  regular 
meal-time,  and  come  in  a  body,  each  getting  its  proper  share. 
It  is  amusing  to  see  our  chickens  gather  and  sing  around  the 
hammock,  at  four  o'clock  summer  afternoons.  They  are  not 
fed  there,  but  know  where  my  father  starts  from. 

The  old-fashioned  rule  of  withholding  water  ten  days,  I  suc- 
cessfully followed,  but  chicks  long  for  drink  very  early,  and 
I  learned  it  was  mainly  the  coldness  of  water  or  milk  that  did 
the  damage  to  bowels. 

Boiled  milk,  often  recommended,  is  constipating.  Clear,  raw 
milk  is  the  opposite,  unless  diluted  with  one-half  or  one-third 
warm  water,  when  we  secure  a  model  drink. 

A  pancake  baker,  with  its  shallowness,  its  rim  on  which  to 
perch,  and  its  iron  flavor,  makes  a  good  drinking  dish. 

So  does  a  flower  pot  inverted  in  its  saucer,  leaving  just  a 
ring  of  water.  If  a  fountain  is  desired,  cork  the  hole  in  bottom 
of  pot,  notch  its  rim  i/^  an  inch  in  one  or  two  places,  fill  with 
water,  turn  saucer  over  lop,  and  quickly  invert  the  whole.     If 


A  Large   Brooding   House   and  Growing  Ducks   on  a   Success- 
ful Duck  Farm. 


TURKEYS.  139 

you  have  pans  or  troughs  of  water  standing  around,  put  in  stones 
or  bricks,  that  chicks  which  fall  in  may  get  a  foothold  and  not 
drown. 

Early  separate  the  sexes  of  precocious  breeds,  for  best 
growth.  Larger  kinds  mature  slower,  hence  this  is  not  neces- 
sary if  cockerels  are  promptly  sold  when  two  or  three  months 
old. 

Chickens  allowed  to  roost  in  trees  in  pleasant  weather, 
stay  there  through  fall  rains  and  even  till  they  freeze  to  the 
boughs.  A  bamboo  fishpole  as  a  weapon  of  dislodgment,  fills 
a  long  felt  want. 


TURKEYS,  DUCKS  AND  GEESE 

The  Principal  Breeds  and  Their  Proper  Care  and  Manage- 
ment. 

One  gobbler  to  12  hens  is  sufficient.  Those  who  change 
male  birds  every  year,  to  avoid  the  evils  of  inbreeding,  make  a 
mistake.  Secure  the  best  possible  gobbler  and  hens,  then  keep 
them  as  long  as  they  live  and  do  not  fail,  selling  their  progeny 
instead.  There  is  such  a  differnce  in  turkeys  that  this  is  the 
only  plan  which  lets  a  farmer  know  what  he  can  depend  on. 

Turkey  eggs  take  28  days  to  hatch.  Glass  or  gourd  nest- 
eggs  should  be  used,  and  their  own  eggs  gathered  daily,  dated, 
and  put  on  soft  cotton  or  oats.  This  prevents  chilling,  and  en- 
ables us,  if  there  are  several  hens,  to  set  together  those  eggs 
near  an  age. 

If  inclined  to  steal  their  nests  too  far  away,  shut  the  turkey 
hens  up  each  day  till  they  have  laid,  or  till  10  o'clock,  say,  then 
when  let  out  they  will  be  in  such  haste  and  go  so  directly,  that 
they  can  be  traced.  Old  barrels,  with  a  little  hay  in,  and  laid 
on  their  sides  in  fence  corners,  then  decorated  with  cornstalks, 
are  especially  attractive.  If  these  be  fitted  over  the  headless 
ends  with  doors  tight  at  bottom  but  admitting  some  air  at  top, 
the  turkey  hen  can  sit  in  the  place  of  her  own  choosing;  other- 
wise foxes,  skunks  and  rats  would  make  short  work.  Turkeys 
also  like  strawstacks  and  nests  under  sheds.  One  Wisconsin 
woman  has  good  success  by  turning  all  her  breeding  stock  into 
a  small,  dry  field  enclosed  with  a  tight  board  fence  where  they 
nest,  lay  and  hatch  at  pleasure.  Of  course  marauders  could 
dig  under  but  have  not.  If  all  the  hens  get  to  sitting,  the  gobbler 
may  become  so  discontented,  he  must  be  confined.  I  once  saw 
a  ferocious  old  fellow  shut  in  a  deer  park.  My  mother,  who  has 
been  very  successful,  says  the  more  petting  and  handling  tur- 


140 


POULTRY  MANUAL. 


keys  have,  the  less  wild  and  suspicious  they  become.  Her  gob- 
blers never  disturbed  nests,  but  often  assisted  in  the  care  of 
young.  She  thinks  there  is  "too  much  fuss"  made  about  raising 
them.  Although  generally  believed  that  turkeys'  eggs  need  con- 
siderable moisture,  and  should  always  be  set  on  the  ground,  or 
sprinkled  with  warm  water  near  the  close,  we  found  nothing  of 
the  kind  necessary  in  Wisconsin's  reasonably  moist  climate. 
We  seldom  used  hen  turkeys  as  mothers,  because  they  drag  their 
little  ones  around  so,  but  put  seven  to  nine  eggs  apiece  under 
common  hens,  set  and  cooped  precisely  as  for  chickens.  Be- 
cause they  stay  longer  with  their  young,  it  is  well  to  set  one 
turkey  hen  and  coop  her  near  the  former,  since  she  will  eventu- 
ally adopt  all  the  poults  and  lead  them  to  the  fields,  which 
should  always  be  your  own  and  not  your  neighbor's  land.  Fif- 
teen eggs  are  enough  for  her,  and  there  can  be  little  doubling  of 
broods,  because  complete  covering  and  warmth  are  so  essential 
to  the  poult's  welfare. 

If  a  turkey  hen  is  uneasy  when  she  begins  hatching,  she 
should  be  quieted  by  feeding  her  on  the  nest,  from  the  hand. 
The  little  ones  require  nothing  for  24  or  36  hours.  Bread  and 
milk,  not  sloppy,  is  unsurpassed  as  a  first  food.  Having  more 
wild  nature  than  chickens,  they  especially  need  green  food,  like 
chopped  onion  and  lettuce,  and  animal  food,  like  curd,  shaved 
bone,  lean  meat  and  eggs.  Corn  meal  preparations  must  always^ 
be  scalded.     Green  oats,  new  corn,  sour  milk,  etc.,  are  especially 


Mongrel   Geese  Being  Fattened  For  the  Holiday  Market. 


TURKEYS. 


141 


.^% 


C^' 


vl 


'Indian  Runner  Ducks,  Called  the  Leghorns  of  the  Duck  Family. 

dangerous.  A  common  hen  teaches  the  little  ones  to  eat  better 
than  their  own  mother  does.  We  may  feed  them  much  as  chick- 
ens, only  more  carefully  and  lighter  because,  exercise  is  abso- 
lutely necessary  for  turkeys. 

Coops. 

ZYz  feet  square,  SVz  feet  high  in  front,  and  2^4  behind,  are 
large  enough  for  turkey  mothers,  which  some  confine  for  about 
two  weeks,  till  the  poults  are  able  to  walk  far  and  well.  Others 
make  a  board  pen  one  or  two  feet  high,  which  holds  the  little 
ones,  and  their  mother  will  not  go  far  away.  A  light  board 
tied  over  shoulders  to  prevent  flying  leaves  the  bird  at  the 
mercy  of  dogs.  As  the  safest,  happiest  arrangement,  I  commend 
a  small  yard,  wired  in  overhead  and  all,  where  mothers  and  off- 
spring can  be  together.  Frequently  move  coop  and  yard  and 
when  the  poults  are  old  enough  for  general  liberty,  never  let 
them  wander  about  in  the  dew,  and  be  sure  to  get  them  in  be- 
fore a  storm  and  every  night.  Start  early,  while  they  are  yet 
feeding,  and  can  be  discovered,  do  not  step  on  the  little  crea- 
tures lying  flat,  perhaps  at  their  mother's  warning  command, 
accustom  them  to  the  sound  of  your  voice  calling  and  always 
give  a  good  supper  when  you  get  them  back.  A  turkey  raiser, 
when  tired,  must  be  able  to  walk  two  miles  more,  any  time. 


142  POULTRY  MANUAL. 

Water  dishes  should  be  shallow  at  first,  because  little 
"turks"  are  rather  simple.  I  once  had  one  drown  even  in  an 
oyster  can,  lying  on  its  broad  side,  of  course. 

Though  the  hardiest  of  fowls  later,  poults  succumb  much 
quicker  than  chickens  do,  to  dew,  rain,  chills,  improper  food 
and  lice.  They  frequently  die  from  applications  of  grease,  so 
be  liberal  with  insect  powder,  and  look  for  lice  on  quill  end  of 
feathers,  upper  and  under  sides   of   wings. 

Samuel  Cushman,  of  Rhode  Island,  tried  a  shed,  and  found 
that  the  turkeys,  when  about  one-third  grown,  roosted  on  fences 
and  trees,  were  much  healthier.  The  sickliest  turkeys  I  ever 
saw  had  a  fine  house.  I  should  enjoy  trying  a  shed  with  roof 
only,  like  a  band  stand,  because  rains  are  bad  and  jumping  from 
high  trejs  is  injurious. 

Rearing  Ducks  and  Geese. 

One  drake  is  usually  assigned  to  five  ducks.  Geese  prefer 
to  live  in  pairs.  When  laying  these  fowls  should  be  confined  at 
night  and  held  till  their  eggs,  which  they  generally  lay  every- 
.where,  are  secured.  Otherwise  they  are  not  fastened  in  at 
night,  because  they  sometimes  feed  by  moonlight. 

Hatching,  etc.  Though  good  incubators,  geese  and  ducks 
are  poor  mothers,  hence  it  is  better  to  set  their  eggs  under, 
hens.  Ducks'  eggs  usually  hatch  in  28  or  29  days;  geese  eggs 
need  from  29  to  31.  Rats  are  fond  of  the  young,  hence  a  coop 
having  a  board  floor  covered  with  sand,  is  best. 

Water  dishes  must  be  deep  enough  for  them  to  bathe  their 
heads,  or  nostrils  will  get  clogged  with  sand,  and  beaks  with 
food.  The  best  food  we  have  ever  found  for  young  ducklings  is 
one  part  hard  boiled  egg,  and  three  parts  stale  bread  crumbs, 
the  first  three  or  four  days;  after  that,  equal  parts  of  wheat 
bran,  cornmeal,  boiled  potatoes,  with  a  little  beef  scraps  thrown 
in.  Cornmeal  exclusively  is  too  concentrated,  and  will  cripple 
them  in  their  legs  and  feet.  The  Long  Island  breeders  add 
about  a  pint  of  coarse  sand  to  the  mash  for  grit  purposes. 

Geese  and  ducks  are  remarkably  healthy  and  hardy  after  the 
first  three  or  four  weeks,  during  which  they  should  not  be  al- 
lowed to  swim  nor  get  wet  in  dew  and  showers.  Afterward  a 
pond  or  marsh  land  is  better  than  a  running  stream,  on  which 
they  may  stray  or  get  stolen.  The  presence  or  absence  of  water 
makes  no  difference  in  weight,  but  does  add  to  their  cleanliness 
and  happiness.  Mr.  Rankin  says,  "My  ducks  never  see  water, 
except  to  drink,  the  year  round.  They  are  confined  in  yards 
24x100  feet,  some  40  in  each  yard,  24  feet  square  being  size  of 
pens  inside  of  breeding  houses.  They  are  confined  in  these 
yards  for  nine  months,  or  till  August  1st,  when  they  are  re- 
moved that  the  land  may  be  disinfected.  This  is  done  by  plow- 
ing and  growing  a  crop  of  barley  or  rye,  when  the  land  is  ready 
for   the    ducks    again."     A   double   yard,    with    geese    or   ducks 


bUCKS  AND  GEESE. 


143 


A   Consignment  of  Chicks,   Duelcs   and  Geese  As   Tliey   Arrive 
In  the  Storerooms  of  the  Wholesaler. 

spending  a  fortnight  in  each  part  alternately,  is  a  good  plan, 
half  an  acre  to  each  family  of  goslings.  They  are  so  hardy  that 
they  would  sit  among  the  cattle,  under  the  latter's  sheds,  but 
there  they  would  be  in  great  danger  of  being  stepped  on,  hence 
better  have  their  own  pens,  heavily  bedded  with  hay  on  an 
earthen  floor.  The  duck  is  a  home  bird,  but  the  goose  rambles 
over  and  injures  grain  fields.  Both,  though  no  scratchers,  pull 
and  strip  leaves,  and  tread  down  the  vegetable  garden.  They 
are  not  good  companions  for  chickens,  because  they  eat  very 
greedily,  and  muss  their  food  and  water  dishes  so.  Geese  are 
not  constituted  to  be  reared  in  such  large  flocks,  as  ducks,  be- 
cause they  require  more  pasture,  or  else  will  crop  it  so  close 
as  to  injure  the  sod.  All  kinds  of  vegetables,  coarsely  cut  up 
eke  the  grass  supply.  "For  about  20  days  after  shutting  up, 
market  goslings,  feed  them  mainly  cornmeal  mixed  with  beef 
scraps,  about  i^  scraps,  and,  at  night,  whole  corn.  We  mix  the 
meal  and  scraps  together  while  dry,  pour  boiling  water  over,  and 
stir  till  thoroughly  mingled.  Give  them  fresh,  clean  water  to 
drink,  and  have  a  box  of  grit  or  clean,  sharp  sand  by  them." 

It  will  do  to  pick  geese  two  or  three  times  a  year,  when- 
ever the  feather  is  "ripe,"  which  will  be  known  by  examining. 


144  POULTRY  MANUAL. 

If  it  is  bloodless  and  pulls  easily,  it  is  ready  to  pluck,  but  if  fill- 
ed with  blood  it  is  "green"  and  not  mature.  Commonly,  wben 
ready  to  pluck  the  feathers  drop  more  or  less.  It  is  a  simple 
and  sure  protection  to  draw  an  old  stocking  over  a  goose's  head 
during  the  operation. 


♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦^♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦^ 

t  r^TMlt^tZ  ^    HATCHING  AND  ♦ 
♦  ^mV/IVO  REARING.  I 


A  Manual  of  Dependable  Instruction  in  Incubating, 
Brooding,  Feeding,  Housing  and  Developing  Winners  and 
Layers;  Fattening  and  Dressing  Market  Chickens. 

This  is  a  new  book,  up-to-date  thrc  ighout  and  will 
enable  its  readers  to  avoid  losses  that  spoil  the  profits 
and  to  grow  bigger,  better  chicks,  for  market,  exhibition 
or  breeding.  Following  are  the  subjects  of  a  few  of  the 
chapters: 

Conditions  That  Affect  Fertility;  How  to  Build  an 
Incubator  House;  Success  with  Incubators;  Hatch- 
ing and  Rearing  the  Chicks;  Artificial  Hatching  and 
Rearing;  Portable  Brooder  Houses;  Brooding  and 
Feeding;  Hatching  and  Rearing  with  Hens;  Summer 
Care  of  Young  Stock;  Care  of  Growing  Chicks;  Dry 
Feeding;  The  Broiler  Business;  Fattening  the  Cock- 
erels; Killing  and  Picking;  The  Profitable  Soft 
Roaster  Industry;  etc.,  etc. 

Every  poultry  keeper  should  own  this  book  whether  he  raises  a  dozen  or  five 
thousand  chicks  each  season.  Well-hatched,  well-grown,  healthy  chicks  are  the 
most  profitable  and  the  diff'erence  in  the  selling  value  of  one  chick  will  pay  for  the 
book.  It  contains  128  pages,  has  a  handsome  cover  and  is  completely  illustrated. 
Price  25  cents,  postpaid.       Address 


WEBB  PUBLISHING  CO., 


ST.  PAVL,  MINN, 


►♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦ 


♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦ 
♦ . ._ ♦ 


I  THREE  PRACTICAL  BOOKS  t 


TlMATEUR. 


I 


THE  GOLD  MINE  IX  THE  FRONT  YARD,  by    C.  S.  Harrison.  A    book 

about  flowers,  both  for  ornamentation  and  commercial  culture,  written  with 
special  reference  to  Northwestern  conditions.  Illustrated.  Price,  13  mo. 
cloth,  280  pp.,  81.00. 

AMATEUR  FRUIT  GROWING,  by  Samuel  B.  Green,  a  practical  guide  to  the 
growing  of  fruit  for  home  use  and  the  market,  written  with  special  reference 
to  a  cold  climate.  Illustrated.  Price,  12  mo.cloth,  134  pp.,S.50paper,25c. 

VEGETABLE  GARDENING,  by  Samuel  B.  Green.  7th  edition.  A  manual  on 
the  growing  of  vegetables  for  home  use  and  the  market,  indispensable  to 
Farmers  and  Gardeners  everywhere.  Profusely  illustrated.  Price,  12  mo. 
cloth,  252  pp.,  $1.00;  paper,  50  cents. 

WEBB  PUBLISHING  CO,,  ST.  PAUL.  MINNESOTA 


►♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦ 


I  STANDARD  AGRICULTURAL  BOOKS  | 

I       Published  by  WEBB  PUBLISHING  COMPANY,  St.  Paul.  Minn.       | 


%  AMATEUR  FRUIT  GROWING,  by  Samuel 
T  B.  Green,  a  practical  guide  to  the  growing  of 
J  fruit  for  home  use  and  the  market,  written 
^  with  special  reference  to  a  cold  climate.  11- 
^  lustrated.  Price,  12  mo.  cloth,  134  pp., 
^      50  cents  paper,  25  cents. 

♦  VEGETABLE  GARDENING,  by  Samuel  B. 
^  Green.  7th  edition.  A  manual  on  the  grow- 
^  ing  of  vegetables  for  home  use  and  the  mar- 
X       ket.    Profusely    illustrated.     Price,     12    mo. 

Y  cloth,  252  pp.,  $1.00;  paper,  50  cents. 

5  FARM  WIND-BREAKS  AND  SHELTER 
5      BELTS,  by  Samuel  B.  Green.     A  manual  of 

♦  tree  planting  for  wind-breaks  and  shelter 
^  with  description  of  the  most  suitable  trees 
^  hardy  enough  to  stand  Northwestern  con- 
^  ditions.  Practical  cultural  directions  from 
X       seed  to  maturity.     Illustrated.     Price,  paper, 

♦  69  pp.,  25  cents. 

♦  EVERGREENS  AND  HOW  TO  GROW  THEM, 
^  by  C.  S.  Harrison.  A  complete  guide  to 
^  selection  and  growth  of  evergreens  for 
X  pleasure  and  proiit,  from  seed  and  nursery, 
J      to    wind-breaks,     and    hedges.     Illustrated. 

▼  Price,    12    mo.    cloth,    100    pp.,    50    cents; 

♦  paper,  25  cents. 

^  THE  GOLD  MINE  IN  THE  FRONT  YARD, 
^  by  C.  S.  Harrison.  A  book  about  flowers, 
X      both    for    ornamentation    and    commercial 

Y  culture,   written   with  special   reference   to 

▼  Northwestern  conditions.     Illustrated. 

♦  Price,   12  mo.  cloth,  280  pp.,  $1.00. 

^  THIRTY  DAIRY  RATIONS.  Thirty  com- 
^  plete  balanced  dairy  rations;  Treats  also 
^  on  the  feeding  and  care  of  dairy  cows,  by 
X       H.  C.  Carpenter.     Illustrated.     Price,  paper, 

♦  25  cents. 

♦  FEEDING  AND  MANAGEMENT  OF  LIVE 
^  STOCK,  by  Thomas  Shaw.  A  series  of 
^  lectures  on  the  principles  covering  selec- 
^  tion,  feeding,  breeding,  management  and 
X  marketingof  cattle,  sheep  and  swine.  Price, 
5       8  mo.  cloth,   100  pp.,  Sl-OO;  stiff  cover,  50 

♦  cents. 

♦  GRASSES  AND  HOW  TO  GROW  THEM, 
^  by  Thomas  Shaw,  covering  name  and  char- 
^  acter  of  all  the  principal  grasses  in  America, 
X  temporary  and  permanent  pastures;  meth- 
X       ods  in  making  hay,  etc.     Illustrated.     Price, 

♦  12  mo.  cloth,  4.S3  pp.,  $1.50. 

^  WEEDS  AND  HOW  TO  ERADICATE  THEM, 
^  by  Thomas  Shaw,  giving  the  names  of  the 
^  most  troublesome  weed  pests  east  and  west 
X  and  successful  methods  of  destroying  them. 
X      Price,     16    mo.    cloth,    210    pp.,    50    cents; 

♦  paper  25  cents. 

^  ELEMENTS  OF  AGRICULTURE,  by  J.  H. 
^  Sheppard  and  J.  C.  McDowell,  a  complete 
^  treatise  on  practical  argiculture  covering 
X  plant  and  animal  breeding,  thoroughly  il- 
lustrated. A  complete  text-book  adopted 
in  public  and  agricultural  schools  through- 
out the  Northwest.  Price,  12  mo.  cloth 
100  pp.,  $1.00. 


i 


FIVE  HUNDRED  QUESTIONS  ANSWERED  X 
ABOUT  SWINE,  by  L.  H.  Cooch.  This  T 
manual  is  practically  a  complete  veterinary  ▼ 
book  for  swine  breeders.  Not  only  does  it  ♦ 
contain  answers  to  questions  concerning 
diseases  of  swine,  but  it  also  fully  and  care- 
fully compares  the  different  breeds,  treats 
on  breeding,  feeding  and  pasturing.  The  ^^ 
questions  were  asked  by  breeders  and  ans-  ▼ 
swered  in  The  Farmer  from  1900  to  1907.  ♦ 
Price,  paper,  25  cents.  ^ 

HOG  FACTS,  by  D.  A.  Wallace  and  H.  O.  ♦ 
Tellier.  This  book  was  written  to  hll  the  ^ 
need  of  the  practical  man  who  is  looking  for  ^ 
all  the  profit  in  practical  pork  production,  X 
and  especially  for  the  man  who  lacks  ex-  X 
perience.  In  it  will  be  found  a  clear  and  ▼ 
concise  description  of  the  various  breeds  of  ♦ 
hogs,  a  discussion  on  the  subjects  of  select-  ▲ 
ing  and  mating,  feeding,  dipping,  and  ^ 
marketing.  In  fact,  it  is  an  all  round  X 
book  for  all  who  raise  the  "  mortgage  lifter."  X 
(In  preparation.)     Price,  cloth,  $1.00.  ♦ 

HARDWOOD  LANDS,  by  D.  A.  Wallace.  ♦ 
describes  the  characteristics  of  Minnesota  ♦ 
and  Wisconsin  cut-over  timber  lands  hereto-  ♦ 
fore  overlooked  as  suitable  for  agriculture.  ^ 
Illustrated,     Price,  paper,  25  cents.  ^ 

VACANT  GOVERNMENT  LANDS,  by  Moses  ^ 
Folsom,  locates  all  government  lands  that  ^ 
can  be  secured  free  by  entry,  and  tells  how  X 
to  get  them.     Price,  paper,  100  pp.,  25  cer.ts   X 

THE  DOMINION  OF  CANADA,  by  Moses*  X 
Folsom.  All  about  free  government  land  X 
in  Canada  and  how  to  get  it.  Price,  12  mo.  X 
cloth,  155  pp.,  50  cents;  paper,  25  cents.         ♦ 

THE  FARMER'S  TANNING  GUIDE,  by  G.  ♦ 
E.  Stevens,  gives  all  the  quick  ways  of  tan-  ♦ 
ning  in  from  ten  minutes  to  six  weeks.  Also  ^ 
complete  recipes  for  making  your  own  solu-  ^ 
tions.  Prepared  especially  for  farmers.  X 
Price,     paper,  25  cents.  X 

FARM  BLACKSMITHING,  a  complete  treat-  T 
ise  on  blacksmithing  by  J.  M.  Drew,  written  X 
for  farmers  who  want  a  workshop  where  X 
they  can  profitably  spend  stormy  days.  II-  ♦ 
lustrated.  Price,  12  mo.  cloth,  100  pp.,  50  ^ 
cents.  ^ 

STANDARD  BLACKSMITHING,  HORSE=  X 
SHOEING  AND  WAGON  MAKING,  by  J.  X 
G.  Holmstrom.  author  of  Modern  Black-  x 
SMITHING,  gives  practical  instructions  by  a  ♦ 
successful  blacksmith.  The  latest  and  ♦ 
most  complete  book  on  the  subject  publish-  ^ 
ed.  Thoroughly  illustrated.  Price,  12  mo.  ^ 
cloth,  $1.00.  X 

THE  COUNTRY  KITCHEN.  Nine  hundred  ♦ 
tried  and  tested  recipes  suited  to  the  country  ♦ 
and  contributed  by  readers  of  the  Farmer.  ♦ 
The  most  popular  and  practical  cook  book  ^ 
on  the  market     Price,  12  mo.  cloth,  154  pp.,  ^ 


50  cents;  paper,  25  cents. 


i 

♦ 
♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦^ 


All  above  books  sent  postpaid  on  receipt  of  price.        We  can   furnish  any 
agricultural  book  published  at  lowest  advertised  price.    Send  all  orders  to 

WEBB  PUBLISHING  CO.,   ST.  PAUL,  MINN. 


^ 


